Season tickets for the Circle Theatre 2024 productions are now on sale (Courtesy, Circle Theatre)
By Deborah Reed
WKTV Managing Editor
deborah@wktv.org
Circle Theatre in Grand Rapids celebrates 2024 with their 71st season of Main Stage productions and Summer Concert Series.
Dedicated to enriching the quality of life in West Michigan, Circle Theatre uses an intimate setting and exceptional theatrical arts to educate and entertain.
(Courtesy, Circle Theatre)
The only community theatre in West Michigan specializing in summer theatre, the Theatre allows community performers of all ages to hone their craft. The Theatre also provides employment for directors, choreographers, musicians, designers and technicians.
Circle Theatre boasts more than 300 loyal volunteers and employs approximately 127 local independent contractors annually. Circle also provides nine paid internships to college students, three college scholarships, and arts scholarships to children grades PreK-8 each year. An Environmental Leadership contest for ages 6-14 is also available.
How it all began
Grand Rapids Community Summer Theatre, also known as Circle at the Rowe, was founded in 1952 by Norma Brink, Ted Brink and Sydney Spayde. Its first season was held in 1953.
The Rowe Hotel housed the Theatre for eight years. Due to the shape of the rented room, the play performance area was arena-style with the audience seated around the actors.
Over the years, Circle moved to various other locations, finally finding a home at the Pavilion in John Ball Park for 40 years. Growing audiences and a need for more technically adequate facilities, Circle Theatre searched for a new home and found a partnership with Catholic Secondary Schools and Aquinas College, opening of a new Performing Arts Center at the College in 2003.
Purchasing tickets
Tickets for the 2024 season can be purchased online at circletheatre.org, the box office at 616-456-6656, or in person at the box office (1703 Robinson Road SE, Grand Rapids).
Kent County Health Department encourages residents to support local restaurants across Kent County through Nov. 11. (Courtesy, MSBDC)
By WKTV Staff
deborah@wktv.org
Supporting local restaurants benefits the entire community (Courtesy, pxhere.com)
The Kent County Health Department (KCHD) is encouraging residents participating in Restaurant Week GR, taking place from Nov. 3-11, to broaden their dining experiences and support restaurants across Kent County.
To assist residents in finding and selecting a restaurant, an interactive map was created featuring local restaurants across Kent County.
“Restaurants hold a unique place in our community,” said KCHD Director Dr. Adam London. “They are often where memories are made, and life’s milestones are celebrated. Supporting these establishments not only preserve our local flavors but also strengthen the bonds that hold our community together.”
Community support and benefits
Though the restaurant industry has rebounded, the workforce remains low (Courtesy photo)
Spending at local restaurants benefits the community by supporting jobs and businesses. Whether dining in, ordering take-out, or buying gift cards, consumers contribute to local employment and business growth.
In the United States, the restaurant industry has rebounded to employ a record 12.37 million people as of September 2023, surpassing pre-pandemic levels. However, Michigan’s restaurant workforce remains about 6% below its peak, underscoring the importance of supporting local restaurants.
The Health Department works with a diverse range of food establishments, spanning from restaurants to mobile food trucks to healthcare facilities, as part of their annual licensing renewal and inspection process. Consequently, they are uniquely positioned to comprehend the challenges that restaurants have faced over the years.
Interactive maps make exploring easy
Clickable icons provide establishment details (Courtesy photo)
“We created an interactive map to encourage residents to explore our local eateries during restaurant week and beyond,” said Environmental Health Division Director Sara Simmonds. “Whether it’s an old favorite, someplace you have heard about and haven’t tried yet, or an out-of-the-way spot with a unique menu, they all help make up the fabric of Kent County.”
The map can be found on the KCHD social media site and website, and allows residents to search within a specified distance of their location. Each restaurant has a clickable icon and provides residents more details about the establishment.
Residents are also encouraged to follow our social media to learn how our team partners with local restaurants.
Teens involved in community activism become more politically active and conscious (Courtesy, pxhere.com)
By Rachel Rickman
WKTV Contributor
While it might stand to reason that teenagers involved in activism within their communities become more politically active and conscious adults – there is now evidence to support the idea.
A new University of Michigan (U of M) study brings to light specific ways teen activism leads to more critical thinking and community engagement in young people. In addition, the data shows how youth engaged in community activism are more likely to continue their community and civic action as they get older.
Elevating awareness and engagement in teens
Community engagement promotes understanding of both local and national inequalities (Courtesy, pxhere.com)
The study, recently published in Society for Research in Child Development, looks at how teenagers (specifically youths around age 16) elevate their awareness, become more politically involved, and develop a better understanding and more active approach to community engagement by participating in community activism—both youth and adult facilitated.
The study shows that addressing local and national political concerns with a group of peers or mentors helps young people develop a better understanding of their place within their community. They also maintain motivation to address problems related to inequity.
Young people joining in community engagement, the study found, are more likely to continue fighting inequities in society once they leave school.
By participating in their community, teenagers gain a better understanding of the ways inequity works within their own lives and communities as well as nationally. A sense of empowerment in their ability to create meaningful change is also a benefit.
Critical reflection and positive change
The study is based on the work of Paulo Freire, a Brazilian educator, philosopher, and outspoken proponent of critical pedagogy. According to the study, “He believed in the idea of critical reflection and action on the world to make it more just and equitable.”
Freire studied and proved that without development of critical consciousness it is difficult for young people to evolve a sense of their ability to create positive change within their immediate social setting, and that of a larger community.
Empowering action and providing tools
A Grand Rapids organization that has been putting Freire’s work into practice since 1998 is Our Community’s Children(OCC). The organization is a public-private partnership between school systems and city government.
OCC provides a liaison between school systems and city government (Courtesy, pxhere.com)
OCC has multiple programs in place with the similar goal of engaging young people in their community, empowering action, and providing tools and resources to better their own lives and those of others.
Program examples include initiatives such as Kidspeak, a program for K-12 local youth facilitated by the Mayor’s Youth Council that gives young people the chance to talk to school officials, community leaders, and legislators about issues important to them.
The Mayor’s Youth Council, made up of high school city residents, gives these young people the chance to see how city government works. They also gain experience working directly with city officials and programs.
Challenging injustice
Young people participating in community engagement groups reflected in the U of M study are largely of Black, Latino and Hispanic descent—people who experience significantly higher rates of structural inequity. This is also true of OCC.
Engagement in activism programs lead to greater understanding of self and others (Courtesy, pxhere.com)
Participating in community activism gives students an objective look at the social problems and injustices surrounding them, allowing for a clearer perspective to challenge these issues. According to the study, “Youth’s exploration leads to a greater understanding of the self and relationships with others.”
Programs like OCC “give a platform to begin the process,” said Shannon Harris, Director of Our Community’s Children. A chance for youth to “start early in knowing how city government works,” and perhaps most importantly, “a brave space” for young people to “feel safe speaking their opinion.”
A wonderful example of continued community activism is found in Grand Rapids City Commissioner Kelsey Purdue. Purdue, a former member of the Mayor’s Youth Council, is now a City Commissioner for the Third Ward.
The conclusion of the study states, “Community-based activism, then, serves as a key consciousness-raising system that supports youth to recognize, negotiate, and challenge oppression in their lives.”
Create and support youth activism
There are many positive short and long-term implications of this study for schools and communities looking to create and support youth activism programs.
Rachel Rickman is a freelance writer, editor, and former university English Instructor with a BA, MA, and MFA focused on writing. She grew up in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, but currently resides in Rosarito, Mexico with her husband and son.
Much of her work focuses on “narrative recipes”—personal essays with recipe/cooking ideas.
The KDL millage offers a lower rate and immediate savings (Courtesy, KDL)
By WKTV Staff
deborah@wktv.org
On Nov. 7, Kent County residents in the Kent District Library service area will be asked to consider renewing the millage that funds its operations for another 15 years.
A lower millage rate and immediate savings
KDL works to save residents money while offering a variety of programs and services (Courtesy, KDL)
KDL is asking voters to consider a new, lower rate of 1.1 mills, which reflects a reduction of 10.9% off KDL’s current millage rate of 1.2355 mills. Taxpayers will see immediate savings as the KDL Board has committed to lowering the millage rate effective Jan. 1, 2024.
“Kent District Library is able to lower its millage because we are part of a thriving and growing community where new taxable real estate has produced more revenue,” said KDL Executive Director Lance Werner.
“As good stewards of your tax dollars, we can reduce the millage while still continuing offer our current slate of programs and services,” Werner continued. “The reduced rate will allow us to add new materials, programs, events and services as we have always done.
“If voters reject the millage, though, we would be forced to close our doors since the majority of our funding – approximately 90% – comes from millage dollars.”
How the millage will help KDL serve you
KDL serves residents in 27 municipalities through 20 branches, a bookmobile, its main service center, 5,000-plus annual in-person programs and a host of patron-focused services, from in-branch printer/Wi-Fi access and loanable mobile hot spots to early literacy initiatives and an extensive collection of talking books and Braille resources.
KDL is a multi-award-winning public library service (Courtesy, KDL)
If approved, the millage will generate $26.6 million in its first year, which will cover the expense of physical and digital collections, employees, programs and events, tech tutoring and other library services, rent and other expenses. The new millage will expire Dec. 31, 2039.
If approved, the lower millage will save taxpayers $3.1 million annually or $46.5 million over its life. With the new lower rate, the average homeowner in the KDL service area will pay $145.75 annually for access to library services – or $2.80 per week, less than the cost of most cups of coffee.
How KDL helps you save
KDL exists to further all people and is an open and welcoming hub for everyone. Last year, the award-winning library system logged more than 2.1 million interactions with patrons, including branch visits, event participation and virtual program attendance. KDL has nearly 140,000 patrons, adding 20,395 new card holders last year.
KDL Millage (Courtesy, KDL)
In 2022, KDL saved individual library users an average of $1,348 in value for physical and digital items they would otherwise have had to purchase. During that same period, library users saved $85.2 million by checking out physical materials and digital items.
KDL’s collection is extensive, with more than 700,000 physical items and 15.6 million digital items. These include books, e-books, apps, magazines, movies, television programs, audio books, video courses, video games, music, online databases, research materials and at-home learning materials, as well as access to statewide materials and collections. In 2022, total circulation rose 6% to more than 7.1 million while computer and Wi-Fi usage grew 26%.
Known for its family-friendly programs, KDL offers more than 5,600 programs and outreach events each year. Baby/toddler/preschool story times, learning labs and craft classes, book clubs, concerts, and special activity and interest groups are all part of KDL’s outreach.
Program and outreach attendance grew more than 61% in 2022.
A leader among libraries
KDL employs 346 people and receives more than 4,000 hours annually from more than 500 volunteers. KDL is governed by a board of trustees who are appointed by the Kent County Board of Commissioners for four-year terms and represent various geographic regions of the county.
Recognized as a leader among libraries, KDL has won numerous awards and accolades for its collections, programs, services and team.
Veteran-owned small businesses make many positive contributions to local communities and economies.
By WKTV Staff
deborah@wktv.org
Governor Whitmer honors veterans with Veterans Small Business Week in Michigan (Courtesy, Supplied)
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has recognized Oct. 31 – Nov. 3 as Veterans Small Business Week in Michigan. This event is to celebrate the positive contributions made by veteran-owned small businesses to our local communities and economies across Michigan.
“During Veterans Small Business Week, let’s support Michigan’s strong, local veteran-owned small businesses and celebrate the huge impact they have on our economy,” said Gov. Whitmer.
“Michigan’s entrepreneurs and small business owners move our state forward,” Whitmer continued. “Many are owned and operated by Michiganders who served our nation in uniform and continue to make a difference in their community. This week and every week, let’s support our veteran-owned small businesses.”
Reducing barriers for veterans
Gov. Whitmer has signed legislation to reduce barriers to professional licensure. This created an expedited path for veterans and their families to practice their licensed profession in Michigan, easing the pathway to reciprocal licenses through expedited processing and waiving initial license and application fees.
Veteran Marion Gray holds a folded American flag (U.S. Dept. Veterans Affairs)
Veterans who are interested in registering a business in Michigan may also qualify for a waiver of fees for profit corporations, limited liability companies and nonprofit corporations. Learn more here: Veterans Fee Waiver.
“LARA is proud to show appreciation for members of the armed forces and their families by offering initial license/registration and application fee waivers,” said Marlon I. Brown, acting director of the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. “Our department offers several licensing supports for those currently serving and for those service members transitioning from active duty. LARA also counts military training and experiences toward fulfilling the requirements for certain licenses.”
Michigan as a “Startup State” for veterans
West Michigan’s veteran-care facility flies a 30- by 50-foot flag just off Monroe Avenue NE across from Grand Rapids’ Riverside Park. (Courtesy, WKTV/K.D. Norris)
Brian L. Love, director of the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency (MVAA), said small businesses are the backbone of the Michigan economy and a key part of the state’s “Make it in Michigan” economic development strategy.
“We want Michigan to be the ‘startup state’ by being the best place for veterans to start their own businesses,” Love said. “When veterans return home, they bring with them a unique skillset that is invaluable in the entrepreneurial space.
“The MVAA is here to support veterans as they return home and enter the civilian workforce or start their own small business. We know having meaningful employment saves lives and we are glad small business owners go beyond thanking our vets for their service and recognize their service by hiring them and promoting them.”
The MVAA helps connect veterans with federal, state and local benefits and resources they earned for their service. To learn more, veterans can contact the Michigan Veteran Resource Service Center at 1-800-MICH-VET or visit www.michigan.gov/MVAA.
The stuffed animals are being collected in honor of Yogi, a brown bear who was humanely euthanized at John Ball Zoo this week after suffering from arthritis due to his advanced age.
Yogi was born in the wild and had been with John Ball Zoo since 1994 after repeated human area conflict in Yellowstone National Park. Yogi would have been euthanized at that time if the John Ball Zoo had not provided him with a home. At the Zoo, he lived well beyond his life expectancy.
A 30-year zoo icon
“John Ball Zoo is heartbroken by the loss of Yogi, who was a beloved presence at the Zoo for almost 30 years,” said Jaime Racalla, zookeeper supervisor at John Ball Zoo. “We’re very proud of the long life he had and the excellent care he received from our team into his later years. It is heartwarming to know that Yogi will continue to bring tokens of joy and comfort to children through the stuffed animal drive in his honor.”
Yogi’s caretakers will miss his gentle, easygoing personality.
“Yogi’s favorite day of the week was bone day,” said Jackie Wolflinger-Zellinger, swing keeper at John Ball Zoo. “He would pass up his dinner and any sweet snack we had for him, such as his evening medications mixed with honey or jam, for it, and he would be busy chewing until all the meat was gone. He was such a joy to work with.”
Teddy bear drive details
Donated stuffed bears can be dropped off at John Ball Zoo Guest Services through Oct. 19
John Ball Zoo will collect stuffed animals from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. daily Oct. 5-19 to be donated to the children’s hospital. The toys should be new with tags and can be dropped off at John Ball Zoo Guest Services office.
“Thank you to John Ball Zoo and our community supporting our pediatric patients at the hospital,” said Jeannine Brown, certified child life specialist at Helen DeVos. “These stuffed animals comfort our kids during their admission and aid in the healing process. We pass out many stuffed animals every day to brighten a child’s stay, especially if they forgot their treasured stuffed animal or lovey at home. Thank you for helping us make their hospital stay a little bit better with something to hold and hug.”
A satellite view of Site 36 shows location of the forthcoming 36th Street Marketplace five-acre parcel of land (Courtesy, City of Wyoming)
By Deborah Reed
WKTV Managing Editor
deborah@wktv.org
The City of Wyoming is making steady progress with plans regarding the forthcoming local marketplace at Site 36 Industrial Park.
“We’re very excited about it,” said Nicole Hofert, Wyoming’s Director of Community & Economic Development. “I think that we are going to be creating a really nice hub for families. Somewhere where they can feel safe and want to be.”
Formerly a General Motors stamping plant, Site 36 North is directly adjacent to the Godwin High School athletic field (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
Site 36 Industrial Park is an 80-acre parcel of land with 75-acres on the south side of 36th Street, and an additional five acres on the north side.
The 36th Street Marketplace will be located on that five-acre parcel.
Formerly a General Motors stamping plant, the 75 acre parcel of Site 36 was sold to commercial real estate investment company Franklin and Partners (FP) with an agreement that FP would help Wyoming develop a community marketplace on the north side.
“What’s also fortunate about this property is that Godwin High School sits just across the street, and their athletic field sits directly adjacent to the site,” said Hofert.
Hofert went on to say that the City has acquired a parking agreement with the school that will benefit both school and marketplace events.
Marketplace planning sneak peek
The marketplace design incorporates a long rectangular building with a flexible layout that will allow for up to 24 vendors.
Farmers markets have become increasingly popular and offer more than just fresh produce (Courtesy, pxhere.com)
“You could have a farmers market one day and then maybe an artisan market later in the week that requires a slightly different layout,” said Hofert.
Garage doors on all sides can be raised or lowered as needed, allowing the market to function year-round.
Programmable outdoor space is also included in the design.
A designated food truck parking area will allow food truck and other similar events to proceed even when the market isn’t in operation. A smaller outdoor space on the front of the market will allow for music events and other outdoor activities.
“We’ve had a tremendous team working on it,” said Hofert. “We’ve been very lucky with our internal partners as well as our external partners, and they were very thoughtful in a lot of their recommendations.”
Hofert went on to say that the City did a large amount of market research leading into the planning process. They also traveled to several farmers markets, which led to the rationale for the garage doors.
36th Street Marketplace planning has involved large amounts of research, including on-location visits to similar venues (Courtesy, pxhere.com)
With West Michigan’s variant weather, Hofert said the question was how the City could “bring something to the community that they can ultimately embrace, and is available to them 365 days out of the year and not just a limited 3-month window.”
Conversations with local entrepreneurs provided feedback on what would be helpful for vendors. The City also sought support and feedback from the Division Avenue Business Association.
“Hopefully we’ve designed something that’s reflective of their needs to really maximize the benefit of this,” said Hofert. “There are opportunities to expand beyond just fresh fruit or vegetable offerings, and we really wanted to make sure that we were providing for those opportunities.”
Once the marketplace is built, leadership of design and vendor needs will pass to Krashawn Martin, director of the Parks and Recreation Department.
A family and community hub
The City’s goal is to make the marketplace a venue where people want to spend time and that is accessible from every direction.
Families and other community members will be able to access the marketplace from multiple routes (Courtesy, www.pxhere.com)
Marketplace planners hope that the south side of Site 36 develops quickly, creating a natural magnet that will draw people to the north side.
“It’s also an area of the community that still has a very tight grid system,” said Hofert. “We have a very walkable neighborhood surrounding it and we are hoping…it becomes part of the neighborhood’s aesthetic.”
The Silver Line runs along Division Avenue, creating broader access for neighborhoods. Site 36 and the Silver Line are only a quarter mile apart, allowing visitors to easily walk to the marketplace.
A reconfigured trail network will bring the non-motorized trail off of Buchanan to Site 36 and also around the site.
“Anyone using the trail is going to have to go through the marketplace,” said Hofert. “You now have families that can bike to the marketplace, get some fresh fruits, vegetables, some artisan goods, maybe a cup of coffee, and then head home.”
Timeline and extra perks
Farmers Market (Courtesy, pxhere.com)
“I am hopeful that we will be breaking ground late this year, into early next year,” said Hofert. “We’re finishing up due diligence. We have to complete a Brownfield Work Plan, and then obviously construction will have to begin.”
Hofert is remaining conservative in the City’s expectations on project completion, however, knowing that there are often delays in the current construction industry.
A generous grant will provide an extra marketplace perk once construction is complete.
The City plans to solicit a local artist to place public art that will honor the site for what it is.
Community renewal and healing
Hofert said the loss of the GM stamping plant was significant for Wyoming and greater Grand Rapids families who worked there.
“It was a tremendous loss to the area when that plant left,” said Hofert. “To be able to bring something to the community, that’s for the community and not just a development asset for a private company, is something that we at the City are really excited about.”
Liz Brann-Stegehuis (left) and son Sean Stegehuis (right) continue the operation of Tommy Brann’s (middle) iconic Wyoming restaurant location (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
By Deborah Reed
WKTV Managing Editor
Tommy Brann opened a restaurant at age 19, becoming the youngest restaurant owner in Michigan. After 52 years of serving the Wyoming community, Brann handed Brann’s Steakhouse & Grille on Division Avenue over to his sister Liz Brann-Stegehuis and nephew Sean Stegehuis.
“A lot of people ask me, ‘Is it bittersweet?’ and it’s not,” said Brann without hesitation. “I would walk around the block and just escape my restaurant. It was to that point where it wasn’t enjoyable anymore for me, and it’s not because anybody did anything wrong. It was just time to move on.”
Continuing the family business
Brann’s Steakhouse and Grille in Wyoming remains open under the ownership of Liz and Sean Stegehuis (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
Twelve years Brann’s junior, Stegehuis is no novice to the restaurant business, working at their father’s steakhouse and Brann’s Holland location as a teen.
After taking a break from the business to raise her family, Stegehuis returned to the family business 12 years ago, and has since partnered with another buyer for their Bay City location.
Stegehuis and her son took ownership of Tommy Brann’s Steakhouse & Grille at the beginning of September.
“Sean and I are partners,” said Stegehuis, adding that her son grew up in the business.
“With Brann’s, he is really driven to keep the legacy going,” Stegehuis continued. “We complement each other. He’s the back of the house and he loves the people. You’ll see him out front bussing tables and helping servers, but he also can jump behind that line and cook and hold up the back of the house too.”
Starting ‘em young
After Brann’s mother died when he was 12 years old, John Brann put Brann and his siblings to work. Brann said it was a blessing.
Tommy Brann at his restaurant in a historic photo (Courtesy Photo)
“My dad kept us out of trouble,” said Brann. “I called it John Brann’s Work Release Program because my friends were doing heavy duty drugs, and I wasn’t because I was working.”
Young Tommy Brann didn’t intend to make the family business his life’s work, planning for a career in law enforcement instead. But when the Division Avenue restaurant location became available, Brann took ownership of his own restaurant at age 19.
“[My dad] lent me $30,000,” said Brann. “I paid him back with interest, which is one of the best things he did for me. It made me my own person.”
Hectic days and new goals
Brann clearly remembers serving 97 dinners on his first day in business, July 5, 1971. He also remembers a one-of-a-kind encounter with a customer that day.
Tommy Brann hard at work (Courtesy Historic Photo)
“I remember a customer coming in and buying the whole restaurant a drink – which has never happened since then,” said Brann. “It was just to help me out, get me going.”
Having $5,000-a-month payments and being told by the Michigan Liquor Control Commission that he could no longer sign checks for beer at the restaurant were also memorable moments.
“I was only a 19-year-old kid, I wasn’t supposed to be buying beer,” Brann said with a laugh. “So I had to have my bookkeeper sign the checks for beer.”
Owning a restaurant was not always easy, with a hectic pace and unfavorable hours topping the list.
“You’re working New Year’s Eve, Mother’s Day, Christmas Eve,” said Brann. “I never missed one of those. You’re working when people are enjoying themselves, and then you’re asking other people to work too, so I made sure I was with them working.”
Brann, however, chose to focus on the favorable aspects of the business and his passion for serving.
Tommy Brann with his restaurant family in 2021 (Courtesy, K.D. Norris)
“My dad would always say you meet so many good people as far as customers and employees, and it’s so true,” said Brann.
The retired restaurateur remembers several customers who became friends, especially Robert (Bob) Kibby.
“If I was having a bad day and [Bob] came in at 11:30, he’d make my day good just because of the joking and the comradeship,” said Brann. “That’s what makes this business good.”
Stegehuis agreed. “Tom couldn’t have said it better as far as the people,” said Stegehuis. “That’s the main part for me. They become your friends and family.”
A life of hard work and dedicated service
Brann’s passion for serving his community extended far beyond Brann’s Steakhouse & Grille.
State Rep. Tommy Brann (left) on the set of WKTV Journal’s “In Focus” public affairs show (Courtesy, WKTV)
“The reason I got into politics is because sometimes politicians don’t realize what small businesses go through,” said Brann. “It’s dangerous when a politician doesn’t have that small business experience…and they make rules against small businesses.”
Brann also earned a black belt in karate, was a Michigan Restaurant Association Distinguished Service Award recipient, partnered with a local songwriter to write a song, and published the memoir Mind Your Own Business that shares the ups and downs of running a successful small business.
A new focus for the Brann and Stegehuis families
Having accomplished many of his goals, Brann plans to focus on more personal pursuits, such as spending time with his wife Sue and supporting her work with the National Ski Patrol.
One thing Brann does plan to cross off his “bucket list” is a trip out of the country.
“I want to go to Liverpool because I’m a big Beatles fan, and walk Abbey Road,” said Brann. “That’s definitely a must for me.”
Brann’s Steakhouse is an icon in the City of Wyoming (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
Brann has also considered writing about his experiences as a politician.
“One time at the State office, we had to compromise on something to get somebody’s vote,” said Brann. “I came back and wrote “I’m now a politician,” and stapled it on my wall while my staff laughed. So I could share my experience with being a politician, and the give and take of it.”
But relaxing after a lifetime of hard work is something Brann refuses to feel guilty about.
“It is hard for me to sit down, but when I do sit down I feel like I’ve earned it, so I don’t feel guilty about it,” said Brann.
Stegehuis says that, for right now, Brann’s Steakhouse is her focus.
“I am going to have the balance of my family,” said Stegehuis. “But really, this consumes you. You have to make the time [for family] when you’re in the industry, and that’s why Tom’s doing what he’s doing. At this point in my life, this is my focus. Keeping it Tommy Brann’s, carrying on his legacy.”
Stegehuis says she plans to keep the restaurant very similar to what it already is, and that the transition has been smooth. She does intend to bring back the salad bar, but considers that an addition, not a change.
The Brann family legacy
The Brann family business will continue to serve the community (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
Brann says that he wants to be remembered for being a hard worker and giving customers a good experience while at his restaurant.
“I was a hard worker, and I would mop my floors…whatever it took,” said Brann.
But the retired restaurateur knows he is not perfect, saying he still remembers a customer complaint about a meal that arrived cold.
“That was probably 30 years ago, and I still remember that,” said Brann. “I just wanted to make sure that when they left here, they had a good experience and we didn’t fail them.”
Stegehuis says she wants the community to know that the reception customers receive at Brann’s is genuine.
“These people that I’ve had for coworkers over the years and the guests that I’ve met, I truly consider them friends and I truly consider them family,” said Stegehuis. “They are very special to me, and that’s what I would like to carry on, and carry on for Tom.”
Drum major Sofia Daniel directs the band during a school day rehearsal (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
By Deborah Reed
WKTV Managing Editor
deborah@wktv.org
East Kentwood High School (EKHS) band directors Mike Gozzard and Sho Dembinski strive to make music a memorable and welcoming experience for each of their 200 students.
“Even if kids don’t continue in music after high school, we’re just trying to make their experience as good as possible while they’re here, making sure they know they are welcome and that they have fun,” said Dembinski.
A love of music instilled in the next generation
Students practice their show outside each day (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
The last two years have brought heartache and necessary adjustments to the EKHS band family.
In May 2022, Kentwood Bands lost their beloved director, Marshall Werling, to cancer. Through his time at EKHS, Werling passed on a lasting love of music to the students.
“Music has always been a very big part of my family, but also the teachers who have led me here,” said Sofia Daniel, drum major and junior at EKHS. “Especially Mr. Werling. He and Ms. [Natalie] Sears were a very big part of why I love music.”
Daniel went on to say that she has always had a positive experience with the EK band program, whether that experience came from new friends or a connection with a teacher.
Bringing a community together
Directors Gozzard and Dembinski continue to bring students of all backgrounds and activities together through the band program.
“The thing I like the most is that [the program] is diverse in the typical meaning of diverse, but also in other meanings,” said Dembinski. “For example, we have kids that do cheer, football, and do other clubs and robotics and things like that. It’s cool to see them come together and do one thing.”
Jennifer Pham enjoys all genres of music (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
Daniel agrees, saying she enjoys being in a class where everyone likes music. “It’s a kind of family of people doing what you love as well,” said Daniel.
EKHS junior and flute/piccolo player Jennifer Pham says sharing her love of music is important to her.
“Music has always been a big part of my life,” said Pham. “I love listening to it in my free time, so the chance to be able to play something and share my love of music is something that I like.”
Pham participates in marching band, concert band, jazz band, and combo groups. Though flute is her main instrument, Pham recently learned bass for jazz band.
“I like that there are so many opportunities we are given,” said Pham. “Although you have to pick an instrument, just because you pick something now doesn’t mean that you can’t learn another one later.”
Pham says she will keep music in her life even if she does not choose it as a career path.
Finding the right niche
Raul Aquino-Gonzalez, trumpet player and EKHS senior, joined band because his brothers had also been in the program. But Aquino-Gonzalez didn’t feel a connection to music right away despite saying the atmosphere was inviting.
Aquino-Gonzalez plans to study jazz in college (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
“Last year is when I really began to get into it, and I really started trying to get better,” said Aquino-Gonzalez. “I just loved it from then on.”
The catalyst for that change of heart?
“I joined jazz band, and I think that was the spark,” Aquino-Gonzalez said. “That’s when I would spend hours every day playing and trying to get better.”
Aquino-Gonzales recently formed a jazz group outside of school that performs for different events, including the school’s fall play.
A legacy of lasting relationships
While Dembinski and Gozzard work to ensure a certain level of proficiency in all students – and they see improvement in musicianship each year – Dembinski said the first week of band camp is his favorite part of every year.
A family atmosphere forms strong ties between students (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
“My favorite time of year is the first week of band camp when all the freshmen come here for the first time,” said Dembinski. “We work a lot with the section leaders and the leadership, trying to make everyone feel welcome. We do a bunch of games during camp to make sure all sections of the band are one big family.”
Dembinski said that he sees close ties form between students, and knows many of them will last.
“There are a lot of lasting relationships,” Dembinski said. “I see it all the time. Most of my closest friends are friends from high school band or college band.”
A show all ages can enjoy
That sense of relationship is demonstrated in the Home title and theme of the EKHS 2023 marching band show.
There is still time to see the 2023 marching band performance (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
Featuring artists from Michigan, the show incudes “Lose Yourself” and “Not Afraid” by Eminem, “Juice” by Lizzo, “Bring It On Home To Me” arranged by Roy Hargrove, and “I Wish” and “Superstition” by Stevie Wonder.
Dembinski said some college marching band shows have also recently featured a home theme.
“We liked the idea, we just wanted to put our own spin on it with the music we picked,” said Dembinski.
Picking music everyone enjoys, however, is not easy.
“If you pick new music, students like it but parents don’t,” said Dembinski. “If you pick ‘old music’ from the 70s and 80s, parents like that but students don’t. This show has a bit of both.
“I’ve heard band parents say they really like the Eminem section, and every time I leave class, students are playing Stevie Wonder,” Dembinski continued. “It surprised me a bit. But I think this show has something that everyone can jam out to.”
Dembinski encourages the community to attend the invitational and experience performances from schools all across Michigan.
“You get to see our band, but also a bunch of other sweet bands too,” said Dembinski. “It’s nice to see a bunch of different sized schools, different demographics and different show ideas.”
This family-friendly, free event promises an afternoon filled with candy, costumes, face painting, music, bounce houses and more. Local businesses, clubs and organizations will be handing out treats as attendees stroll through the beautiful park.
“The Trick-or-Treat Trail was created to be a fun, safe event for the fall, providing an alternative to traditional Halloween events,” said Krashawn Martin, Director of Wyoming Parks & Recreation. “Trick-or-Treat Trail gives families an opportunity to interact with neighborhood businesses while enjoying all the amenities of Lamar Park and the beauty of the fall season.”
In previous years, the event has welcomed over 65 local businesses and organizations, and more than 6,000 attendees.
Interactive boards provided opportunities for residents to show their priorities for the parks system. (WKTV/Deborah Reed)
By Deborah Reed
WKTV Managing Editor
deborah@wktv.org
Over 700 respondents have given feedback on the City of Wyoming Parks and Recreation Department’s five-year master plan, and the department is requesting even more input from the community.
Director of Parks and Recreation Krashawn Martin talked to WKTV about the importance of community feedback regarding the future of Wyoming’s parks (Courtesy, WKTV)
“The park master plan is very important for our long-range visioning for the park system,” said Parks & Recreation Director Krashawn Martin. “We have a beautiful parks system already here in Wyoming, but these opportunities really help us to get community input, which is really the driver of everything that we do.”
Together, the City and engineering firm Fleis & VandenBrink are working to ensure every option is heard. Two public input meetings have been held with plans for more public opinion opportunities still coming.
“This process is meant to give everyone a voice,” said Rick Stout, Registered Landscape Architect of engineering and architecture firm Fleis & VandenBrink Engineering. “We want to hear your thoughts.”
“We really pride ourselves and do our best to be community responsive,” said Martin, adding that the input helps the department know how people are passively using the parks system for recreation, and also the things they would like to actively see in the parks system.
Input from the community is encouraged by the Parks and Rec Department (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
The public input sessions provided three interactive boards that parallel the Parks & Rec online survey. The boards listed possible goals, objectives and priority elements.
During the public input sessions, community members were invited to place stickers next to their top three priorities in each section.
“What potential actions in the area of recreation do you see for the City of Wyoming,” Stout asked input session attendees. “What do they really need to focus on?”
There will be a final public hearing and then approval by the Wyoming City Council based on compiled community feedback. Once approved, the plan will be available for a 30-day review period before submission to the DNR.
The ultimate goal, said Stout, is to have a draft plan finished within the next month and start the public review process early.
Landscape architect Rick Stout (right) explains what kinds of feedback will be helpful for the 5-year master plan (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
“Ideally, we would like to get this whole process wrapped up in December so we leave ourselves some room on the back end in case something does come up and it gets delayed,” Stout said.
Though a wide range of feedback has already been received from the public, Stout and Martin urge community members to continue involvement in the planning process.
“There will be multiple opportunities to get some more input as the plan gets developed, but in order for us to develop a draft plan and bounce some of these ideas off the recreation advisory committee, we need your feedback,” said Stout. “That’s why we want to reach out to you right now and make sure there is not an opportunity lost.”
Gaining perspective and meeting needs
Fleis & VandenBrink and the Parks & Rec Department have worked to create both broad and specific goals for the Parks plan. This, Stout said, will help them gain a more accurate perspective of what citizens and the general public want.
Aiming for a well-rounded process, the Parks department also plans to talk to youth at local schools since they are primary users of the parks.
Both broad and specific goals are included in the planning survey (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
Many trends revealed from the community are fairly universal to all parks and speak to universal accessibility, featuring facilities that appeal to multiple age groups and a variety of activities.
As the City continues to grow, so does the number of people searching for quality recreational facilities.
“The younger generation wants quality of life,” said Stout. “They have high expectations of what their community has to offer for recreation.”
Recreation options can often be a tipping point in deciding whether individuals and families move into a community.
“Communities are known by their assets. Whether it be parks or public spaces or where people have a chance to socially interact, those things are key,” said Stout. “Those really define a community.”
Stout believes the City of Wyoming has made great efforts in defining a sense of place and striving to create those assets.
“I think the next 20 years are going to be really exciting for the City of Wyoming,” said Stout. “It’s a very diverse community, and it really wants to make sure it’s meeting the needs of everyone.”
How to submit feedback
The parks online survey is still available to receive feedback (Courtesy, Wyoming Parks & Recreation Department)
The online survey will continue to be open throughout the planning process and can be found on the City of Wyoming website and social media page.
Martin urges those unable to attend a meeting in person to fill out the online survey.
“We’re just excited to hear from the people,” said Martin. “Not just in this process, but anytime. We are always open to ideas for improvements or recreation programs that our community would like to see in the future.”
“This was prompted by the recognition that our senior community in Wyoming is one that deserves to have attention provided to it, and services delivered right to their doorstep,” said Fitzgerald. “We really looked at what this community needs, and it is more direct services from the state. This is an opportunity for us to begin a tradition of providing these resources directly to the community.”
The Resource Fair included several community organizations that provided information, resources, goodies, and even lunch for attendees. The goal was to not only reach members of the Wyoming Senior Center where the event was held, but also the general community with resources specific to older adults in Wyoming.
“It’s very easy for older adults to slip through the cracks,” said Chad Boprie, WSC Director. “As people hit retirement age, they start to have these needs and they don’t know where to find help. By doing an event like this, [seniors] can get a lot of the resources in one place and be able to tap into those,” said Boprie.
A need for resources and compassion
The Senior Resource Fair is expected to become an annual fall event (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
Resident Janet Thompson attended the Resource Fair for that exact reason.
Housing, transportation, and service providers such as plumbers and electricians were among Thompson’s top priorities.
“We want to stay in our homes as long as we can,” said Thompson. “We figured we would hire what we need done, but we don’t know where to go to hire it done.”
Where to get help – and help from providers experienced with the senior community – is not always clear, Thompson continued.
“I thought maybe the [vendors] who come here are used to dealing with seniors…and might be more patient and have more knowledge,” said Thompson.
Providing knowledge and expertise
Senior Real Estate Specialist Patti Grover Gabrielse (left) works to provide seniors with customized and fair expertise (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
Senior Real Estate Specialist, Patti Grover Gabrielse, participated as a vendor at the Resource Fair to help provide that experience and knowledge.
“What we do is we focus on the senior adult community,” said Gabrielse. “Of course we want to stay in our homes as long as we can, but when the time comes that we have to sell, I make sure to protect that asset and get the most amount of money for them.”
Gabrielse went on to say that there are real estate agents out there who take advantage of people who don’t know the market.
“It’s a real area of elder abuse,” Gabrielse said. “That money, whether [seniors] are going to go to assisted living or if they are going to go to family and live, every dime matters to them.”
Health and wellness education
Tina Ezell (left) of Urban League of West Michigan chats with a senior resident (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
Tia Ezell with Urban League of West Michigan participated in the Resource Fair to provide information on COVID-19 and tobacco reform.
“Today we are here with information about COVID-19,” said Ezell. “We have some resources, masks, sanitizer, and literature on the vaccine and that explains things you can do to help prevent the spread of COVID.”
The Grand Rapids Urban League is also looking to end the sale of all flavored tobacco in the state of Michigan, including menthol flavored tobacco.
“[We are] doing our best to engage and educate the community that we serve about the harms of tobacco smoke, and why there is a need for tobacco reform in the state of Michigan,” Ezell said.
Grand Rapids Urban League also provides resources in regard to health and wellness education, housing resources, employment opportunities, and the Cure Violence program.
“The communities we serve are under-resourced, marginalized, and we are aware that we need to do what we can to inform them and provide whatever resources are available,” said Ezell.
A community that cares
The Wyoming Senior Center offers resources for both physical and mental health (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
The Senior Center works to provide the senior community with care and resources for more than just physical recreation.
“We want to be a hub for recreational services,” said Boprie. “Within that recreation there are so many goals related to not only physical fitness and physical health, but also mental health.”
Boprie went on to say that the WSC staff often sees loneliness and depression in older adults and believes that being active and involved in social programs helps reduce that issue.
“We also offer Meals on Wheels here two days a week, so there is also the nutritional component that we can provide for people as well,” Boprie said.
“We are very fortunate to have a senior center like this in Wyoming,” said Fitzgerald, “where we can have a gathering place to have all these wonderful organizations and people who serve our senior community get right to the source, to the people who need their services most.”
Dedicated to a life of service
A member of Rep. Fitzgerald’s staff sets out complimentary lunches, provided by Meals on Wheels, for attendees (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
Serving his first term representing the 83rd House District, Fitzgerald is dedicated to building policy that will solve everyday, real issues that impact West Michigan residents. His commitment to community service stems from his mother and grandmothers who devoted their lives to giving beyond themselves.
“My personal connection with the senior community began when I was a child,” said Fitzgerald. “Starting at the age of three, I delivered Meals on Wheels with my mom. I would go in there and begin to chat with those who we were delivering meals to, and hear how their day was going.
“In my teenage years, I played cards with a number of my church members who were older,” Fitzgerald continued. “Even today, I look to support our senior community in a number of non-profit ways as well.”
The final week of the ArtPrize exhibition and competition has begun, but there is still time to view all creative works at various public venues in downtown Grand Rapids.
“Balsagrom” by Aron Balorda, as displayed at The B.O.B restaurant and entertainment venue (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
From Sept. 14 – Oct. 1, artwork from 950 artists are displayed at 150 public venues across the city.
Visitors were able to vote for their favorite works, with the top 25 finalists announced Sept. 22. The competition side of ArtPrize will wrap up on Sept. 29 at Rosa Parks Circle with a reveal of the $125,000 Public Vote Grand Prize winner.
But ArtPrize is more than just public votes and cash prizes.
“Everyone needs times of connection and belonging,” the ArtPrize website states. “The thrill of being part of something bigger than ourselves. The jubilant intersection of creativity, fellowship, and wonder.”
Founded in 2009, ArtPrize was immediately established as a cultural phenomenon by grabbing the attention of artists and art critics worldwide. Not only did this annual event provide artists an opportunity to display their creations, ArtPrize also inspired conversations and engaged imaginations.
Driftwood, rocks and agates – oh my!
Pasha Ruggles poses with “Adam” portrayed as the movie character Groot (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
Pasha Ruggles, resident of Oceana County and creator of “MI-Eden,” felt that spark of imagination while on a Michigan beach with her children in 2015.
“I was on the beach with my kids and they asked me to carry some driftwood,” said Ruggles. “When I threw it in the back of my vehicle…it landed just-so and I thought, ‘That looks like a fish. I’ll make a fish out of that.’”
Ruggles shrugged and smiled. “That’s how it started. And here I am,” she said, gesturing toward the multiple creations surrounding her.
A portrayal of the tree and snake in the biblical creation story (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
“MI-Eden,” which can be found outside the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, is composed of wood, stones and agates from Michigan streams and lakes.
Eden’s “Adam” is portrayed by Groot, and if visitors look closely they will see an apple dangling from one of Groot’s hands.
Accompanying “Adam” are a variety of animals. “MI-Eden” also incorporates a tree and snake from the biblical account of creation.
Finding solace in nature’s artwork
A “MI-Eden” eagle appears ready to take flight (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
Ruggles said that many visitors and passersby think she carved the lifelike pieces in “MI-Eden,” but the artist said she does not shape the wood she finds.
“Nature shapes it and I just put it together,” said Ruggles.
Though Ruggles admits that she fell into art “by accident,” she has also found solace in her work.
“I absolutely love it,” said Ruggles. “It’s more therapeutic than anything to me. Walking on the beach, finding the stuff. If I’m not looking for driftwood, I’m looking for rocks.”
Natural elements and mixed media
Artist Tom Gifford with his 3D mixed media creation titled “MI Light” (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
Muskegon resident Tom Gifford also finds beauty and peace in Michigan’s natural elements.
Gifford’s 3D creation can be found at Biggby Coffee in Grand Rapids. Titled “MI Light,” the exhibit strives to display the beauty of Michigan through various forms of art.
Two photographs Gifford took himself create the Michigan outline, while the base takes the shape of a lighthouse with a light that comes on after dark.
“I like how much of a challenge it is to fit what you think of Michigan into one piece,” said Gifford.
Gifford wanted more to portray more than just a sunset for “MI Light,” and worked to incorporate all of the state’s natural elements: cliffs, sandstone, rocky beaches and clear water.
The lighthouse base was formed from pallet wood Gifford salvaged from dumpsters and then burned with a torch to give it an antique facade.
A change in plans and sleepless nights
Gifford admitted that the photograph forming Michigan’s Upper Peninsula was only taken a few weeks prior to the beginning of ArtPrize. Not quite happy with the picture he had already picked out for the mural, Gifford took one more trip up to Pictured Rocks.
As night falls, a light will illuminate the top of the lighthouse (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
He found his perfect photo, but Gifford said that, “when I order the print, it takes weeks to get the print. So it was the Tuesday before ArtPrize and I was cutting it out and getting ready. It was a lot of last minute work.”
Gifford said that last minute work on his creations is not unusual.
“I’m not just going to get it done and over with, I’m going to put every ounce of energy I’ve got into it,” said Gifford. “It definitely takes a toll on you after a while. [There are]a lot of sleepless nights.”
Michigan memories
Gifford also created a small room in the lighthouse base just big enough for two people to stand inside. Sticky notes and pens are available so visitors can post a note of what brings light to their lives.
The entrance to the room where visitors can post their favorite Michigan memories (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
“People can write their own favorite Michigan memory on the wall,” said Gifford, adding that he plans to make a collage out of all the notes once ArtPrize is finished.
Gifford says he likes hearing people inside the small room.
“They are reading stuff and laughing and having fun,” said Gifford. “It makes it nice and interactive.”
To find information on artists, exhibit locations, and to keep up-to-date on events, visit artprize.org.
Video courtesy of Staff Sgt. Drake Chandler, 126th Theater Public Affairs Support Element, DVIDS
By Deborah Reed
deborah@wktv.org
Soldiers disembark at The Capital Region International Airport (LAN) in Lansing (Courtesy, Pfc. Erich Holbrook)
U.S. Army Soldiers of the 125th Infantry Regiment and Delta Company (MICO), Michigan National Guard were reunited with family and friends in Lansing and Grand Rapids on Aug. 16.
Soldiers of the Michigan Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 125th Infantry Regiment (125IN), including C Company of Wyoming, spent approximately one year deployed to Syria in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.
Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR) “advises, assists and enables partnered forces until they can independently defeat Daesh in designated areas of Iraq and Syria, in order to set conditions for long-term security cooperation frameworks,” according to the CJTF-OIR website.
Soldiers were reunited with family and friends Aug. 16 after a year-long deployment (Courtesy, Pfc. Erich Holbrook)
Though the territory occupied by Daesh has been liberated, Daesh continues to be a “persistent terrorist threat.” CJTF-OIR works continually with partnered forces to ensure defeat of any Daesh remnants.
“I’m very proud of the commitment, service and sacrifice of the Soldiers of the 125 Infantry,” said Col. Matthew M. LeaTrea. “The Soldiers of the 125 Infantry served honorably and with the highest traditions of military service, and their service reflect great credit and pride upon their unit and the Michigan Army National Guard.”
Returning Soldiers also hail from A Company located in Detroit; B and HHC Companies located in Saginaw; D Company located in Big Rapids; D Company, 83rd Brigade Engineering Battalion (MICO) located in Lansing; and H Company, 237th Forward Support Company located in Bay City.
About the 1st Battalion, 125th Infantry Regiment
Family and friends were waiting to welcome the soldiers home (Courtesy, Sgt. Patrick Mayabb)
Headquartered in Saginaw and with companies located throughout Michigan, the 125IN is commanded by Lt. Col. Justin Bierens, and is a subordinate unit of the 63rd Troop Command located in Belmont and commanded by Col. Matthew LeaTrea.
The 125IN traces its lineage to the 1850s and, among other conflicts, elements have seen service in the Civil War, World War I, and World War II. Since the Global War on Terror, Soldiers of the 125IN have been activated and/or deployed in support of several missions, with the most recent being Syria.
Left, Cyndi Tied, GRPM collections manager with Dr. David Pilgrim, founder and director of the Jim Crow Museum. (WKTV/D.A. Reed)
The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) has partnered with the Jim Crow Museum (JCM) at Ferris State University to host the premiere of the JCM’s traveling exhibit, Overcoming Hateful Things: Stories from the Jim Crow Museum of Racist Imagery, beginning June 3.
“We recognized that not everyone was going to come to the metropolis of Big Rapids, so we began creating traveling exhibits,” said Dr. David Pilgrim, founder and director of the Jim Crow Museum. “This is a taste of the stories we are trying to tell.”
Pilgrim hopes GRPM visitors will acquire an intelligent understanding of what the Jim Crow period was. He also hopes the exhibit will stimulate conversations. “This is one of the most successful ways that I have found to lead people to have meaningful, insightful discussions about race,” Pilgrim said.
When Pilgrim arrived at FSU in 1990, he brought approximately 3,200 Jim Crow pieces from his own private collection and donated them to the university with the understanding that they would be preserved and displayed. FSU agreed and now hosts the permanent JCM exhibit that has grown to more than 20,000 pieces.
Pilgrim went on to say that while many people believe the JCM is simply a large collection of racially insensitive objects, it is his intent to place those objects in their proper historical context in order to show people how they were created, why they were created, and what the consequences were of that creation.
“It is an opportunity to show people how you can use contemptible objects as teaching tools and how you can use them to facilitate intelligent discussions about race, race relations, and racism,” said Pilgrim. “We believe in the triumph of dialogue.”
What GRPM visitors can expect
Visitors to the JCM exhibit at GRPM will experience a variety of objects, pictures, and informational articles in both tangible and digital form.
A five-minute Roots of Racism film orients visitors to the content they will see at the Overcoming Hateful Things exhibit, and interactive tablets are available with video and audio content about the Jim Crow period.
An interactive Map of Terror allows visitors to see where Jim Crow violence occurred throughout the United States, while another multimedia piece displays portraits of African Americans living their daily lives.
“We see all these negative caricatures and imagery and stereotypes, (but) African Americans didn’t see themselves that way,” said Franklin Hughes, multimedia specialist of the JCM. “We want to show the pushback of regular, everyday people.”
An interactive station allows visitors to listen to Coon Song, a genre of music that presents a derogatory stereotype of African Americans, while reading along with the lyrics via sheet music. (WKTV/D.A. Reed)
Another interactive station allows visitors to listen to Coon Song, a genre of music that presents a derogatory stereotype of African Americans, while reading along with the lyrics via sheet music.
“It gives people an opportunity to see the songs in their full context,” Hughes said. “People still have those thoughts and ideas because it’s ingrained and embedded into our culture.”
Pilgrim believes that part of education is about history. “A mature nation will look at its past and be objective,” said the JCM director. “The purpose of the past is not to feel good or bad, it’s to have a better, deeper, more nuanced understanding of the past with the hope that we are better in the present and the future.”
Moving Forward
Left, Franklin Hughes talks with David Pilgrim, the founder and director of the Jim Crow Museum. (WKTV/D.A. Reed)
The JCM is currently in the early stages of a campaign to move into a two-story standalone facility that will allow them to contextualize the museum’s pieces.
“Each one of those 20,000 pieces,” said Pilgrim, “is currently being made, sometimes as reproductions, but sometimes the image has morphed into a modern manifestation. I believe that one of the most powerful parts of the new museum we are going to build will be a section of objects made in the last five to ten years.”
Pilgrim urges people to take a critical look at things currently produced in popular and in material culture and to remain vigilant.
“We are all on a racial journey in this country, whether we know it or not,” said Pilgrim. “(The museum) allows us to tell the story of how to make the world better as individuals, as communities, as states, and as a nation.”
To learn more about GRPM’s Overcoming Hateful Things: Stories from the Jim Crow Museum of Racist Imagery, visit Grand Rapids Public Museum.
To learn more about the JCM Expansion and/or to donate toward the expansion, visit JCM Expansion
D. A. (Deborah) Reed is an award-winning author of young adult novels and a creative writing instructor from the Grand Rapids area. To find out more about D.A. Reed, visit her website: D.A. Reed Author
By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma WKTV Managing Editor joanne@wktv.org
To help educate potential new drivers on the dangers of driving impaired, the Wyoming Department of Public Safety will be purchasing a distracted and impaired driver simulator thanks to a $25,000 grant from GM Motors Corporate Giving.
GM Grand Rapids Operations Plant Director Troy Comiskey (center) announces the 2023 GM Corporate Giving grant recipients from the Grand Rapids area. (WTKV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)
The grant, which was given to the Wyoming Greater Resource Alliance for the public safety department’s use, was one of three grants awarded by the GM Grand Rapids Operations, which is located in Wyoming. The grants totaled $75,000 with the two other organizations also receiving $25,000 each was The Right Place and West Michigan Environmental Action Council (WMEAC).
“GM has made a concerted effort to bump up its local giving to the communities,” said Troy Comiskey, plant director for the Grand Rapids Operations. “They take corporate giving very seriously. They have upped it the last two years in a row with definitely a jump this year from the $10,000 mark to the $25,000 mark.”
Through the GM Community Grant program, the company has donated around $3 million to a 157 charities over the last year in U.S. communities that surround GM manufacturing sites. Since its inception, GM’s Corporate Giving has investing has helped communities across the U.S. in a variety of initiatives focused on STEM, vehicle and road safety and community impact.
Comiskey noted that the giving has gone beyond just monetary but with many of the Grand Rapids Operations employees giving time to a variety of events such as Teach for the Watershed, the Mayor’s Grand River Clean-Up, and FIRST Robotics programs. He noted this is on top of employees working sometimes 40-plus hours a week and taking care of their own families that “they still find time for a couple of hours per week or month to help local communities.”
From left, Lt. Eric Wiler from the Wyoming Department of Public Safety, UAW Local 167 Chairman Chris Newman, The Right Place Senior Vice President of Strategic Initiatives Brad Comment, WMEAC Director of Engagement Marshall A. Kilgore, and GM Grand Rapids Operations Plant Director Troy Comiskey (WKTV/Joanne N. Bailey-Boorsma)
Educating the Future about the Environment
One of the beneficiaries of that volunteer support has ben WMEAC which among its programs host the Teach for the Watershed. which is an interactive watershed education program based on Michigan Science Curriculum Standards, and the Mayor’s Grand River Cleanup, the state’s largest riverbank cleanup.
“We are so thankful to GM for this,” said Marshall A. Kilgore, WMEAC’s director of engagement. “This grant started back a few years ago at $200 with them kind enough to extend their philanthropy from $200 to $25,000.”
Kilgore said WMEAC has seen growth in its programs and through the grant will be able to reach more students about how to better take care of their environment.
“So we plan to use this money for the water that connects all of us here in West Michigan and also teach our youth how to be better stewards of their land, water and soil,” he said.
Making the Roads Safer
Lt. Eric Wiler said his department is working to purchase the distracted and impaired driver simulator which they are hoping to debut at this year’s National Night Out as well as other events, such as Metro Cruise. Plans are also in the works to bring the simulator to local school districts to educate potential new drivers about driving with cellphones or while intoxicated.
According to the Michigan State Police, 16,543 crashes in 2021 involving distracted driving. Fatal distracted driving crashes increased by 14% from 2020 to 2021. According to the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration, 3,522 people died because of districted driving in 2021.
To help combat the issue, the Michigan legislature passed a ban on using phones while driving in May.
Building a Workforce Pipeline
Brad Comment, senior vice president of strategic initiatives for The Right Place, said the organization plans to use its grant funding toward growing Michigan’s manufacturing, technology and life science sectors, which Comiskey had commented is “very near and dear to our heart here at GM because we have such a technical workforce.”
Through its programs, Comment said The Right Place will continue to work to bring students into manufacturing facilities and introduce them to careers in manufacturing and technology.
GM was started in 1908 by William C. Durant as a holding company for the Buick Car Company. Within two years, Durant brought some of the biggest names in the automotive industry, including Oldsmobile, Cadillac, Pontiac and the predecessors of GMC Truck. For more than 75 years, the GM Grand Rapids Operations, which is at 5100 Burlingame SW, has been producing high prevision, high volume automotive components for GM products as well as non-GM products.
On Tuesday, April 18, between 5 and 6 p.m., three suspects broke into vehicles at Planet Fitness parking lots in Alpine and Byron Townships. According to witnesses at both fitness centers, the suspects were three younger males with hooded sweatshirts pulled around the face and all three were wearing surgical masks. The suspects fled in an SUV after breaking into one vehicle along Alpine Avenue and two vehicles along 68th Street.
The common theme was the victims left their purses and other property behind in the vehicles while inside Planet Fitness. The suspects smashed out the rear passenger side windows in each vehicle. Credit cards, cash, and wedding rings were among some of the items stolen and used at area stores in an attempt to make purchases. Some property and a laptop were recovered along US-131 near 44th Street and appeared to have been thrown out of a car window.
The KCSO has investigated different rashes of vehicle break-ins that occur throughout the community during the night and daytime hours. As a reminder to the public, remove personal belongings from vehicles or at least lock them in the trunk to hide the items out of sight.
Any with information about the break-ins are asked to call the Sheriff’s Office at 616-632-6125 or Silent Observer at 616-774-2345 to report information safely and anonymously.
Teens arrested after chase
On April 10 just after 9 p.m., deputies spotted a stolen Kia sedan in the area of 60th Street SE and Kalamazoo Avenue, in the Gaines Township area.
The vehicle fled from officers and due to traffic conditions at the time the pursuit was ended. Around 1:15 a.m. this morning, another deputy spotted the vehicle traveling along Woodfield Drive SE (Eastern Avenue and 60th Street). The vehicle again fled, however, due to traffic conditions at the time, the pursuit continued west along 60th Street. The vehicle ran over spike strips and turned south on Division Avenue.
The vehicle continued to flee along Division and drove behind and around a business. Eventually, the vehicle stopped on Regal Ave, and five teenagers were taken into custody. In the car were two 15-year-old males, two 17-year-old males, and one 16-year-old female all from the Grand Rapids area. The Kia was recently stolen out of Jenison.
This pursuit is an example of what deputies encounter on a regular basis. The Kent County Sheriff has continued to report a significant uptick in stolen cars over the past few years. Dangerous driving, stolen vehicles used in additional crimes, and the young age of the individuals involved are common factors.
This incident remains open and will be reviewed by the prosecutor’s office.
What do former U.S. Rep. Peter Meijer and current Kent County Health Department’s Administrative Health Officer Dr. Adam London have in common?
Both have seen first-hand the dangers of political polarization in today’s society. Both will be offering West Michigan Perspectives on Political Violence as speakers at the Progressive/Conservative Summit 2023 presented by Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies at Grand Valley State University.
The Hauenstein Center event, presented as part of its Common Ground Initiative, will take place Wednesday, April 19, from 2-8 p.m. at GVSU’s Charles W. Loosemore Auditorium. The event is free and open to the public but reservations are required and available here.
Meijer and London will talk on their experiences as leaders working in our current divisive sociopolitical world, and likely the costs they paid for their actions on political flashpoint issues. Meijer, who was one of a few Republicans who voted to impeach Donald Trump, lost his his re-election bid for the Michigan 3rd Congressional District, which was won by Democrat Hillary Scholten. London received repeated verbal attacks and even personal threats for his department’s handling of COVID-19 restrictions.
Kent County Health Department’s Administrative Health Officer Dr. Adam London
“We believe that all elected, appointed, and professional government officials at all levels of government should be able to carry out their duties without threat of violence against themselves or their friends, families, and colleagues,” said Kahler Sweeney, Common Ground Initiative program manager. “While we all have public servants who we disagree with, we must advocate against violence as a means of political action.
“By sharing the stories of these elected officials, we hope to showcase the harm that political violence has on our political system and learn what can be done to promote a politics of nonviolence.”
In addition to Meijer and London, other speakers at the event include Professor Javed Ali, former Pennsylvania U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent and former Michigan State Rep. David LaGrand.
“Of course, there is the political divide we are all familiar with, that between Democrats and Republicans, progressivism and conservatism, but we also recognize the diversity of ideologies that our speakers and audience represent,” Sweeney said. “This event will offer insight on the topic of political polarization and political violence from various viewpoints, including practitioners and scholars, Democrats and Republicans, and a diversity of lived experiences.”
Schedule of speakers/topics/events
2-3 p.m. — Contemporary Political Violence & New Policy Approaches with Professor Javed Ali
3:30-4:30 p.m. — Public Service in Polarized Times with former Rep. Charlie Dent (R-PA) (virtual) and former State Rep. David LaGrand (D-MI)
4:30-6 p.m.— Reception with hors d’oeuvres and beverages
6-7:30 p.m. — West Michigan Perspectives on Political Violence with former Rep. Peter Meijer (R-MI) and Dr. Adam London
7:30-8:15 p.m. — Community conversations and dessert
Virtual attendance available
To attend a digital alternative for the summit visit gvsu.edu/hc for the livestream that starts about 30 minutes before the event or join via a zoom link, which is provided in the confirmation email after registering.
The Common Ground Initiative, according to its website, reinforces the Hauenstein Center’s mission to “raise up a new generation of men and women committed to the ethical, effective leadership and public service that Ralph W. Hauenstein exemplified throughout his life.”
Nathan Hannum (standing) with his donor, Kyle Hess. (Courtesy, Trinity Health)
Some years ago, Nathan Hannum received the diagnosis that he had IgA nephropathy, also sometimes called Berger’s disease, that occurs when an antibody called immunoglobulin A (IgA) builds up in the kidney resulting in inflammation that can hamper the kidneys’ ability to filter waste from your blood.
It was a slow decline of kidney function, taking about 18 years for Hannum to drop to about 80% function and then in 2020, the decline started to take a steep dive, with him losing about 20% of functionality.
“So it was a pretty steep deal, but at the end of the year I was in a better position than a lot of other patients in that even though my function had gone down so far, I didn’t have to have dialysis,” he said.
When Hannum and his family moved to Grand Rapids about 15 years ago, he discovered there was only one renal kidney doctor’s office in Grand Rapids at that time, which was associated with the Trinity Health Kidney Transplant Center.
“I had been told I would probably want to get it done there just because it’s close to home,” Hannum said. “There are other options. We could have gone to the University of Michigan or Detroit or Chicago, but the ability to have the facility close to home was a big part of the decision.”
Trinity Health Kidney Transplant Center marks its 50th anniversary this year. (Courtesy, Trinity Health Kidney Transplant Center)
Marking a golden anniversary
The Trinity Health Kidney Transplant Center in Grand Rapids marks its 50th anniversary this year. There are six such centers in the state of Michigan with Trinity Health Kidney Transplant Center (formerly theMercy Health Saint Mary’s Kidney Transplant Center) being the only adult kidney transplant center on the west side of the state.
Since its opening in 1973, more than 2,800 kidney transplants have occurred, improving the lives not only of the patients but of their loved ones and caregivers.
“Our team takes great pride in reaching this 50-year milestone,” said Jill McNamara, MSN RN, Transplant services liaison for the Kidney Transplant Center. “One of the ways we are celebrating is to reflect on the patient stories that show our team just how many people have been touched by their care.”
Hannum admits he was one of those patients who benefitted from that expert care.
“You know sometimes you go in for procedures and they just start working on it and don’t really tell you what is going on. They might ask you what your name is to make sure they’re working on the right person,” Hannum said. “(The Trinity) nurses were fantastic at explaining ahead of time what was going to happen and why they were poking me for this and why they were asking me about that and the doctors were the same way.”
Hannum’s story
Hannum’s process started a couple of years before his surgery with doctors encouraging him to start compiling a list of potential donors. Having been a pastor for the past 25 years, Hannum, who is currently serving at Jenison Christian Church, has a network of contacts.
Left, Nathan Hannum with his donor, Kyle Hess. (Courtesy, Trinity Health Kidney Transplant Center)
In 2022, the Trinity Health Kidney Transplant Center became the only adult transplant center in Michigan to partner with the National Kidney Register (NKR), the largest paired donation program in the world. The NKR has the largest living donor pool, making the likelihood of finding a match potentially faster than other paired programs.
“I sent a big ask to my friends and family and said if you are still interested, here’s the number to call and I was fortunate that a lot of them did,” Hannum said. “There were at least two matches and I think there were probably more than that for me.”
Once a donor was found, the next step was a series of tests, blood and others, to assure there were no underlying issues. It was through those tests, Hannum learned he had prostate cancer. While appreciative that it was discovered, especially since Hannum had no cancer symptoms, the diagnosis was a setback for Hannum, but only a couple months.
Finally cleared for the transplant surgery, Hannum said the next biggest hurdle was scheduling. The surgery took place in December of 2021.
Utilizing technological innovations
Robotic live donor nephrectomy has created even more opportunities for live kidney donation. (Courtesy, Trinity Health Kidney Transplant Center)
For patients like Hannum, Trinity Health Kidney Transplant Center offer one of the latest technological innovations, robotic live donor nephrectomy. This process has created even more opportunities for live kidney donation. A live kidney donation is when a kidney is removed from one healthy patient and donated to a patient who has renal/kidney failure. Previously, these nephrectomies were performed laparoscopically, using small incisions, with the surgeon using his hands during the procedure.
“With a robotic procedure, we still make incisions into the abdomen, but instead of using two hands, a surgeon has four robotic arms available at one time to also control the instruments and camera,” said Joel Stracke, DO, surgical director of the Kidney Transplant Center. “The nice thing about this approach is that we are able to make the large incision needed to remove the kidney much lower on the patient’s abdomen – under the pant line.”
The robot not only offers remarkable precision during surgery, but studies have shown that following a robotic donor nephrectomy, patients experience less pain and less need for narcotics.
Feeling like your 15 years younger
Every person responds differently to their transplant, Hannum said, adding that in his case, aftercare was mostly routine.
“The moment I woke up from my surgery, I felt better and my wife even told me even before I said anything. She said ‘Your eyes are brighter, and your skin color is different and it’s just amazing,’” he said. “ I can’t describe what it was like to be out of the ‘kidney fog’ just when you wake up.”
While there have been bumps along the way, a year later, Hannum said he feels 100% better, adding that he has felt 15 years younger this past year, “which is pretty fantastic.”
“Our main priority is to provide our patients with individualized, compassionate and expert care,” McNamara said. “Over the last 50 years, our program has become one of the largest and most successful community hospital-based transplant programs in the country. As we look forward to the next 50 years and beyond, we will continue to focus on our patients and their families, offering advanced surgical techniques and innovative donor options that offer more hope to our patients.”
The Trinity Health Kidney Transplant Center currently has six surgeons and five nephrologists. In 2022, it completed 102 transplant surgeries: 37 living donor recipients and 65 deceased donor recipients. There are approximately 300 patients at the center currently on the waiting list, 155 which were added last year.
By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma WKTV Managing Editor joanne@wktv.org
South Godwin Elementary School opened Jan. 3, 1956. On June 16, 1938, Wyoming High School first senior graduation ceremony. The Wyoming Township Police was established in 1941.
This and other fun facts about the City of Wyoming can be found in the Wyoming Historical Commission’s 2023 calendar, which was released earlier this month.
The calendar features 12 photos of the city along with signs from businesses that at onetime were part of the Wyoming community. Along with listing holidays, sprinkled throughout the calendar are special dates related to the city such as when former President Bill Clinton visited Rogers High School (March 13, 1992).
The calendar is available at the Wyoming Library History Room, which is open Tuesday evenings and Saturdays form 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. The calendars are also available at Marge’s Donut Den, 1751 28th St. SW.
The calendars are $10 each with the money raised going back to commission projects.
Alynn Guerra’s mural for the 49507 Project adorns the side of Cisneros Tire Service located along Division Avenue. (WKTV)
On a pleasant day in September, the smell of warm tortillas and the music playing at the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Street and Division Avenue probably left some drivers and pedestrians wondering what is being celebrated at the parking lot of Cisneros Tire Service. Then again, one look at the shop’s wall along Division Avenue and it did not taking much to figure out the reason for the celebration.
Sept. 3 was the unveiling of one of the newest pieces in The 49507 Project, which is a public art project coordinated by the non-profit The Diatribe. The 49507 Project is designed to bring together Black, brown, and LGBTQ+ artists to paint murals and emulate how underserved residents in the 49507 area are.
Redlining, the practice of denying a person a loan because the area they live in is deemed poor, is one of the issues reflected in Alynn Guerra’s piece, “Flight,” which is featured at Cisneros Tire Service, 800 Division Ave. S.
According to Guerra, the mural has a literal and metaphoric meaning. The red on the far left represents redlining, a practiced started in 1933 when the Home Owner’s Loan Corporation began redlining in major American cities. On the far right is a shade of green to represent green lining, an advocacy that seeks to advance and empower communities with people of color. In the center of the background is a sunny yellow tone with a grinning skeleton swinging forward on a swing as white birds fly the opposite direction over the red paint in the background. The birds represent white supremacy reversed as Guerra describes it. The skeleton is a traditional Mexican symbol of rebirth.
“We don’t need to glorify our struggles,” said as she presented her mural to the public. “We can look into the mural and be hopeful.”
Taking on this dynamic form of activism through art, Guerra is a believer her art can create change. Whether you are on the stuck in traffic on the busy street of Division or a customer who needs a tire changed at Cisneros Tire Service, you cannot escape curiosity when studying her mural. This vivid, humorous, and truthful work of art shows immense hope for Grand Rapids to think outside our redlines and educate ourselves on social injustice. What Guerra believes about public art is it communicates a message in a constant way in the present day and future generations to come.
The 49507 Project was launched in 2021 with seven artists completing pieces. For 2022, the project had eight artists complete murals in and throughout the area. Those locations are:
Samaria J’s Salon Suite, 701 Grandville Ave SW
Load A Spud, 1721 Madison Ave SE
Farmers Insurance, 2435 Eastern Ave SE
Mr. B’s Party Store, 1216 Kalamazoo Ave SE
Aleman Auto Repair, 1801 Division Ave S.
Cisneros Tires, 800 Division Ave S.
1956 Eastern Ave.
1935 Eastern Ave.
The project has been well received. In fact, as part of it, Peterson Research Consultants conducted a survey of the community attitudes both before and after starting to assess whether perceptions of the neighborhood might change. After the first year, that survey showed residents felt the art represented how “we see things – colorful, vibrant, and a beautiful side of our culture.”
Funded by a coalition of nearly a dozen businesses, foundations, neighborhood groups and city organizations, The 49507 Project is scheduled to go through 2023.
WKTV Managing Editor Joanne Bailey-Boorsma contributed to this article.
LANSING – Paramedics and emergency personnel are sharply divided over a plan that addresses the shortage of Michigan paramedics by creating a statewide certification program that would deviate from the national accreditation program.
Michigan looks at creating a statewide certification program for paramedics. (Photo from Pxhere.com)
A bill sponsored by Rep. Jeff Yaroch, R-Richmond, would allow the state to make its own requirements to be certified as a paramedic.
Yaroch previously spent 25 years as a firefighter and paramedic in Clinton Township. The bill recently passed the House, 102-6, and now goes to the state Senate, where it is likely to pass with bipartisan support.
To become licensed as a paramedic in Michigan, a person must be nationally accredited. The cost of becoming a licensed paramedic in Michigan can range from $1,400 to $12,000, according to Paramedic Training Spot, an online resource for those looking to become licensed paramedics.
With its own accreditation program, the state would no longer need to adhere to the national standards.
Trying to balance cost with need
Paramedics would still need to pass an examination proctored by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
That agency estimates $2 million would be required to establish a training program, with yearly costs of $1.6 million. Michigan now spends $2.3 million per year on EMS funding.
“Right now, a person needs national accreditation to be a paramedic,” said Angela Madden, the executive director of the Michigan Association of EMTs, which supports the bill. “That costs a lot of money, and needing national accreditation makes it harder for small paramedic departments to pay for certification.
“This means that these small departments won’t have paramedics and will have to shut down, leaving the people in that area without that care,” Madden said.
Shoring up the paramedic shortage
There are more than 1,000 open positions for paramedics in Michigan, and two paramedic departments have had to shut down, Madden said.
One is in Mason, in rural Ingham County. The other is in Pickford Township, in Chippewa County. The people living in these communities now have to wait longer for emergency care, which could be a life or death problem, she said.
“There’s no real difference between what this bill would do and the national accreditation program,” Madden said. “Students will still need to pass the Michigan test to be accredited.”
“The goal of this bill is to get more people to become paramedics,” Madden said. “I believe that this bill will enable more people to become paramedics and benefit communities across Michigan.”
But not everyone agrees.
Cost not the only issue
“I don’t think that, if passed, this bill will do much in terms of recruitment,” said Anthony Cerroni, a paramedic instructor coordinator in Dearborn Heights.
“It’s not an issue of money. It’s a generational issue. Kids aren’t choosing to become paramedics, just like they’re not choosing to become police officers or other public safety officials,” he said.
Cerroni said he is unsure if much can be done to encourage more people to become paramedics. Benefits have increased over the past five years, but not even the better pay is enough, he said.
“Another concern I have about the state having its own accreditation board is that a paramedic’s license might not be transferable to other states. A national requirement makes it so anyone can practice in any state without this concern,” he said.
Bryan Harmer, a full-time professor of emergency medical services at Lansing Community College who spent nearly 20 years as a paramedic, testified in a House committee hearing that the bill does not address the real causes of the paramedic shortage.
“This bill fails to address the root causes of our workforce shortage: low wages, bad working conditions and lack of professional advancement,” said Harmer. “It isn’t uncommon for EMS providers to work multiple jobs and well over 60 hours a week to make ends meet and feed their families.”
Making sure standards are met
It would be a waste of taxpayer money to create a state accreditation program when a national one exists, he told the committee last May. A state accreditation program could put lives at risk if it fails to adequately train paramedics.
“The most egregious error I ever encountered in EMS resulted from a paramedic who had recently graduated from a paramedic program in Michigan, back when unaccredited programs were permitted in Michigan,” Harmer testified. “This error resulted in the death of a young mother with two children.”
The bill does not mean paramedics could practice without a license from an accredited program, Madden said. She disagreed that paramedics would receive subpar training.
“Paramedics will be held to high standards through the Michigan state accreditation program,” Madden said. “My agency would never support a bill that could put patient lives in danger.”
Bill cosponsors are Reps. Terry Sabo, D-Muskegon, Sara Cambensy, D-Marquette, Gregory Markkanen, R-Hancock and Kelly Breen, D-Novi.
Supporters include Lake Michigan College and the Michigan Professional Fire Fighters Union. Opponents include the Michigan College of Emergency Physicians and Michigan Health and Hospital Association.
Michigan’s first mass timber building at Michigan State University, the STEM Teaching and Learning Facility, stores nearly 2,000 metric tons of carbon in its timbers, the equivalent of not burning more than 2 million pounds of coal. (Capital News Service/Cameryn Cass)
LANSING – Michigan businesses interested in reducing their carbon footprint are looking to build with large wooden panels instead of steel or concrete.
Nationwide, demand for what is called mass timber tripled between 2018 and 2021.
There are different kinds of mass timber, but the term refers to multiple wood panels either nailed or glued together and that are strong enough to replace concrete and steel, which contribute 8% to greenhouse gas emissions, according to Canadian architect Michael Green.
Mass timber is more sustainable, Green said.
Nearly half of America’s greenhouse gas emissions come from the building industry.
Why mass timber is a good option
Since a little more than a cubic yard of wood can store 1 ton – about the weight of the Liberty Bell– of carbon dioxide, mass timber is a great way to reduce our footprint, said Sandra Lupien, the director of MassTimber@MSU, a research and education group promoting mass timber in the Great Lakes region.
Half of the weight of a tree is from stored carbon in its wood, and the rest is water, oxygen, hydrogen and a mix of other elements. In other words, wood is a carbon sink.
Building with it can prevent or delay carbon from being released into the atmosphere when a tree dies or burns, Lupien said.
Last year, Michigan State University opened one of the first mass timber buildings in the state, the STEM Teaching and Learning Facility. Already there are two more mass timber projects underway in the state, one at a K-12 school in Kalamazoo and another at the Great Lakes Boat Building School in Cedarville.
Another 27 projects in Michigan on the drawing board plan to incorporate mass timber. One of those was in Muskegon where Grand Rapids-based Leestma Management was scheduled to constructe a mass timber building at Adelaide Point this summer.
The biggest hurdle: Getting it
At minimum, the building in Cedarville will have a roof made of mass timber, though those involved with its construction are hoping to build the whole building out of it, said Nikki Storey, the president of the Great Lakes Boat Building School.
The only thing stopping them is funding.
“That’s part of the problem with mass timber: I don’t know that the economy of scales exists yet to be able to get good pricing on it,” Storey said.
Since mass timber comes in sheets that are easy to put together – Lupien equates it to building with Lincoln Logs – there’s a major time savings with using it. But since there are no mass timber manufacturers in Michigan – the closest is outside of Chicago – it’s not always easy to get it.
Typically, mass timber products are made from softwood trees – think coniferous, like evergreens – which make up 30% of Michigan’s forests. The remaining majority of the state’s trees are hardwood, meaning they’re deciduous and lose their leaves, Lupien said.
Using Michigan’s resources
Researchers at Michigan Tech University are experimenting with making mass timber out of hardwood instead, a niche that might provide economic opportunity.
Mass timber advocates hope that Michigan State’s STEM Teaching and Learning Facility will be a place where contractors can learn to build with the more sustainable alternative. (Capital News Service/Cameryn Cass)
It is an untapped opportunity.
“Michigan is a forestry state,” said Conan Smith, the president of the Michigan Environmental Council. “If we can advance the construction materials that are rooted in wood, it’s to our economic benefit.
“It’s not just a great environmental opportunity, it’s a great economic opportunity for the state of Michigan.”
Each year, the state removes 30% to 40% of the forest’s growth, said Brenda Haskill, a forest marketing and outreach specialist at theDepartment of Natural Resources. That still provides enough capacity to harvest for mass timber and manage forests sustainably.
“We’re at a really interesting place in terms of moving the forest industry forward,” Haskill said.
Meeting the demands
Talks of attracting a mass timber manufacturer to the state are underway. However, an aging workforce and the rising cost of diesel fuel mean a decline in logging firms, Haskill said.
Making sure we have loggers to harvest trees and get them to the mill is really the biggest concern, Haskill said.
“I’m hopeful, but there’s a lot of pieces that need to be addressed,” Haskill said.
Michigan is in the same boat as the other Midwestern states. There’s more mass timber manufacturing and interest out west, Haskill said.
Looking at the building codes
Another challenge is the states outdated building codes, said Brian Craig, the board chair at the Michigan Forest Biomaterials Institute.
Michigan State University revamped a power plant and added two mass timber wings to create a hybrid structure in the STEM Teaching and Learning Facility. (Capital News Service/Cameryn Cass)
The most recent version of the International Building Code is from 2021 and offers more flexibility and clarity for how high you can build and how much wood can be exposed with mass timber, Craig said.
Right now, Michigan follows 2015 codes, making it two cycles behind the current thinking on mass timber and fire safety, Craig said.
But mass timber doesn’t behave like a 2 x 4.
Instead, it behaves like a tree.
Think of an unsplit log in a fire pit, and how it chars on the outside: That’s what mass timber would do in a fire, Lupien said.
Craig said that timber can be even safer than steel when it burns.
“Think about what happens when steel gets hot. It sort of turns into spaghetti, whereas mass timber’s surface chars and then protects the rest of the timber,” Craig said.
Lupien said that even with the outdated building codes, builders in Michigan are still able to use mass timber, and they should.
Bringing the beauty indoors
People using the buildings – at least the one on MSU’s campus– express the aesthetic benefits of bringing nature indoors, Lupien said.
“There’s actually a word for that. It’s called biophilia,” Lupien said.
That’s a Greek word that translates to “love of life. ” It taps into our inborn desires of being close to nature. Biophilic design – like incorporating wood into buildings – has even been found to promote human wellness and productivity, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council.
Putting the more sustainable, attractive alternative into Michigan buildings is a question of price and supply.
“It’s been used in Europe for better than a decade now,” Smith said. “It’s a product that’s far better for the planet than concrete.
LANSING – Michigan will offer a $10,000 annual fellowship to 2,500 students as an incentive to teach in the state.
Michigan will offer a $10,000 annual fellowship to 2,500 students as an incentive to teach in the state. (pxhere.com)
The awards, included in the state’s budget that began Oct. 1, are for college students on track to become educators and will be given to students once they are admitted into the college of education at their university.
Some universities have a two-year program, while other programs run three years, beyond prerequisites. Students who participate are required to teach in the state for two years for every year that they receive the fellowship. They cannot receive more than $30,000 in total.
Another incentive to address the state’s teacher shortfall in the 2023 budget is a $9,600 stipend for every semester a student teaches.Previously, student teachers were unpaid, although they are required to carry out some of the same classroom responsibilities as teachers.
Student teachers can apply for this stipend each semester that they teach. At Michigan State University, students are required to student teach for one year, but at other institutions students are only required for one semester, said Gail Richmond, the director of the teacher preparation program at MSU.
Nearly three-quarters of the state’s schools are short of teachers, according to a survey by the Michigan Education Association (MEA), the largest union representing teachers and other school staff.
Among the reasons for the shortage is that the joy of education has been taken away, said Paula Herbart, the president of the union. But the pay is a big reason.
Nearly three-quarters of the state’s schools are short of teachers, according to a survey by the Michigan Education Association (MEA). (pxhere.com)
“The lack of financial stability as an educator has caused the educator shortage,” Herbart said. “Three out of four educators will tell their children not to go into teaching, and that’s a real problem. We’re telling kids not to go into education because they can’t make a living at it, and because of the things that impact your ability to provide for your family.”
For minority students, it can be even harder, said Doug Pratt, the MEA’s director of public affairs.
“We know from student loan data entry, as well as practice, that there’s this double jeopardy of having to pay to be a student teacher and not getting paid which is especially hard for minority aspiring educators,” he said.
All student teachers should be compensated just like in any other apprenticeship program, but people might see it take away the barrier that exists, especially for minority students, he said.
The Michigan Department of Education reports that in 2017, Black teachers made up 5.9% of the state’s teachers. Hispanic or Latino teachers accounted for 1.2 and Asian-Americans made up only 0.2%. About 91% of teachers were white.
“I know most of my (classmates) that are doing the teacher preparation program have dropped out of it,” said Trinity Belcher, a fifth-year student in the MSU College of Education . “They don’t want to do their 5th year because the cost of it.”
Students in the college of education at MSU are required to pay for their internship as a student teacher, which can be a financial burden, Belcher said.
Belcher will finish the program and become a teacher because she says it would be better to have the experience of teaching for a year with a mentor before she starts teaching by herself.
Another incentive is the $175 million Grow-Your-Own program which assists school employees who already work with children, like bus drivers, crossing guards and lunch aides to get their degree to become educators.
Richmond said, “Teachers often feel isolated and unsupported, so I think the things that have to be combined with some kind of financial system is support from the time they step into the classroom, across their entire careers.”
Janelle James is a senior at Michigan State University. She is pursing a double major in journalism and political science with a minor in Spanish. Janelle aspires to one day secure a position as an investigative journalist, White House correspondent or politician.
“Elephant Chunko” by Kristina Libby from ArtPrize 2022 (WKTV/D.A. Reed)
ArtPrize will make a catalytic gift of its creative, technological and communications platforms to a new partnership for a new experiment that will build upon the legacy of the international art competition, effectively “ArtPrize 2.0.” Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. (DGRI), the City of Grand Rapids and KCAD will collectively lead this new initiative.
In a statement today, the ArtPrize board of directors expressed deep appreciation to the entire community for 13 years of partnership and support as it winds down its operations.
“What started as an experiment in 2009 quickly became something more, and we have an entire community to thank for embracing the ArtPrize idea and taking it to amazing heights,” said ArtPrize Founder and Chairman Rick DeVos said in a press release. “Together, we were able to stimulate thought and creativity by celebrating art, supporting artists, exploring familiar and not-so-familiar venues, and starting entirely new conversations.
“While there are certainly mixed emotions, we know the time is right to conclude the original ArtPrize experiment and open up space for new energy and creativity. We are thrilled that the partnership of DGRI, KCAD, and the City of Grand Rapids is stepping forward to continue to produce an incredible fall event.”
Grand Rapids Mayor Rosalynn Bliss echoed those sentiments.
From ArtPrize 2014. (WKTV)
“Every destination community has a destination event that captures the spirit and aspirations of that community. For us, ArtPrize has been a manifestation of the independent creative spirit that defines Grand Rapids, and has captured the imagination of people from around the world,” she said. “Rick DeVos and the ArtPrize Board have laid out a roadmap and a foundation that we’re grateful for and excited to build upon.”
ArtPrize has held 13 events since 2009 and awarded more than $6 million through a combination of public votes, juried awards and grants. Millions of people across the globe have participated in ArtPrize in some fashion – displaying their work, performing, opening their spaces, volunteering, or visiting and enjoying Grand Rapids each fall.
For 18 days each year, art was exhibited throughout the city in public parks and museums, in galleries and storefronts, in bars and on bridges. ArtPrize annually awarded $450,000 directly to artists.
Ran Ortner, with his “Open Water no.24,” was the original ArtPrize grand prize winner in 2009, as determined by public vote. He netted $250,000 for the honor, the largest monetary art prize at the time. In 2010, four juried awards were added to the competition and ArtPrize continued to evolve over the years to keep the experience fresh and surprising. A list of all ArtPrize winners can be found here.
Wyoming Mayor-Elect Kent Vanderwood (far right) talks to members of the BIPOC Business Leader Advisory Council (WKTV)
By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma WKTV Managing Editor joanne@wktv.org
One of the key missions of any business chamber is to serve as a connector and the Wyoming Kentwood Chamber of Commerce did at a recent meeting designed to help launch a new initiative to serve minority business owners.
More than 20 members of the Black Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) Business Leader Advisory Council discussed the needs of businesses and how those needs can be obstacles for BiPOC businesses owners. The discussion came to zoning ordinances and how difficult they can be to maneuver.
The discussion prompted Wyoming Mayor-Elect Kent Vanderwood to tell the group about the city’s need to fill several positions on its Zoning Board of Appeals and Planning Commission.
“I would love to see those boards more diversified.” Vanderwood said and two of the members indicated they were interested in exploring those opportunities. Due to the response, Vanderwood said he would send an email with links to the the Chamber that could be forwarded to everyone.
Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley (second from the left) was part of the BIPOC Business Leader Advisory Council launch. (WKTV)
Known for being “open for business,” Mayor Stephen Kepley recognized that zoning ordinances can be difficult for anyone to understand and that the city works with people to help them navigate the ordinances including have access to a translator service to help English-as-a-second language speakers.
In fact, the biggest takeaway WKCC President and CEO Keith Morgan said he got from the meeting was that the Chamber has to continue to be that connector.
Focusing on the needs of business
“I am pleasantly surprised at the level of influence and interest in a subject matter that can be easily overlooked in a large community,” Morgan said of the interest in developing the BIPOC Business Leader Advisory Council.
Morgan said his intention was to pull together a diverse group of individuals with varying backgrounds and businesses within in the cities of Wyoming and Kentwood for the Council. His original idea was to have a small group meet at the chamber offices however the overwhelming response from invitees had him move the event to the WKTV Community Media Center, 5261 Clyde Park SW.
A partner with the chamber, WKTV General Manager Tom Norton stated the station was thrilled to share its space with the Chamber for the launch of this initiative.
The initial event focused on how the Chamber could better serve the BIPOC business community. Morgan called it the start of the conversation with advisory members helping to establish goals.
Discussions centered around what some of the needs the businesses hand which included such topics as the need for interpreters, workforce development, labor shortage, and the ability to take a business to the next level.
At the meeting, the BIPAC Business Leader Advisory Council identified six key goals:
Establishing a mentor program
Creating and distributing a vendor list
Providing best practices especially related to procurement
Establishment of an advisory council
Building connections
Providing educational information and resources
Morgan said the Council will continue to meet to work on goals that can be completed in the short term as well as in the future.
By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma WKTV Managing Editor joanne@wktv.org
The Wyoming Department of Public Safety is seeking help to identify a person of interest in an assault case that took place at 800 Burton St. SW.
On Oct. 9, 2022, at 4:20 a.m. officers from the Wyoming Department of Public Safety responded to a report of an assault that occurred at the Citgo Station located at 800 Burton St. SW.
A female store employee was allegedly assaulted by a male customers in the store. The male arrived with numerous individuals in black “party” bus. The male customer engaged in argument with employees and began throwing items in the store and at employees. The female employee was attempting to get the male to leave when she was stuck in the head causing her to fall. The male suspect returned to the bus which then left the scene.
The female store employee had significant but non-life threatening injuries from being struck and falling to the floor.
The male involved in this incident is described a a black male, 20-30 years old, 5 feet, 10 inches tall with a skinny build and short hair. He was seen wearing a dark-colored North Face hoodie sweatshirt with dark-colored jeans.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact Wyoming Police at 616-530-7300 or Silent Observer at 616-774-2345 or 1-866-774-2345.
Kentwood Police
Last week, the Kentwood Police Department was able to identify a 16-year-old male believed to have been involved in the theft of a vehicle in which a 2-year-old was inside. A juvenile petition was forward to the Kent County prosecutor’s office and the following charges were issued: child abandonment, unlawful driving away of an automobile, lying/obstructing police and malicious destruction of property under $1,000.
Courtesy, Kentwood Police Department
“I would like to commend our Kentwood Police officers and the officers from our neighboring communities on their tireless work to identify and locate this individual,” Kentwood Police Chief Byron Litwin said. “I would also like to thank the bus drivers form Kelloggsvillee Public Schools for their quick actions in locating the missing child and returning him to his parents.”
On Oct. 4 at around 8:10 a.m., the Kentwood Police Department was dispatched to a stolen vehicle with a 2-year-old child inside. The vehicle was stolen form the area of 48th Street and Marlette Avenue in Kentwood.
According to media reports, the parents were able to flag down a Kelloggsville bus driver. The driver alerted 911 and then got on the bus frequency radio and alerted the other drivers in the area. Another Kelloggsville bus driver realized she had just seen a 2-year-old child wrapped in a blanket. The driver went back, picked up the child and returned the baby to its mother.
The stolen vehicles was found in the city of Grand Rapids shortly after it was stolen. Multiple agencies assisted the Kentwood Police Department including the Kent County Sheriff’s Office, Wyoming Department of Public Safety and the Grand Rapids Police Department.
Wyoming’s Demon Robotics and East Kentwood’s Storm Red battle during the Grand Rapids Girls Robotics Competition on Oct. 8. (WKTV/Jodi Miesen)
By Jodi Miesen WKTV Contributor
It was an intense battle for bragging rights for two local all-girls high school robotics teams that took part in a competition that focused on their abilities in a very male-dominated field.
The 2022 Grand Rapids Girls Robotics Competition was held at Wyoming High School over the weekend. Most high school robotics teams are co-ed but for this unique annual STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) event, only the girls were allowed to compete. GRGRC event coordinator Mallorie Edwards said the event was founded in 2016, by Wyoming High School teacher Richard Budden. Budden taught STEM and noticed female students were not as interested in it.
Edwards, who has been with the organization since 2017, said she’s passionate about the organization’s mission and was excited GRGRC could bring the competition back this year. This is the first time they’ve been able to hold the all-day event since the COVID-19 pandemic started. Turnout was lower this year than in the past with only 14 teams. The event is capped at 24 teams.
“I am hoping to grow the numbers that participate in the competition next year,” Edwards said. “A challenge I heard from many coaches that I reached out to was that they didn’t have enough girls on the team to compete. That is the exact reason why we are doing this event. To show girls that they can do these roles, be successful, and have fun.”
The key to success: the willingness to learn
The event drew robotics teams from high schools all over the state with two local teams, Red Storm (Team 3875) from East Kentwood High School and Demon Robotics (Team 858) from Wyoming High School.
Team Captain Abby Strait from Wyoming High School’s The Demons, stands next to the team’s robot. (WKTV/Jodi Miesen)
Through out the competition, teams form alliances with other teams to battled in complex two-minute games against other alliances. This all done with robots that the students have built and program. Wyoming’s The Demons and East Kentwood’s Red Storm ended up being on the same alliance and were fierce competitors, losing by just two points.
“You can do it! You don’t have to be super smart to be in robotics, you just have to be willing to learn,” said Abby Strait, a Wyoming High School senior and team captain. “Your team will teach you all that you need to know.”
Strait, who has been on robotics teams since 8th grade, was excited that her school was hosting an event that promotes girls to pursue science and math fields. She said she felt that far too often girls shy away from robotics thinking it will be too hard, but she hopes events like this will draw more female interest.
“I’m hoping to go to college for some sort of engineering, something really hands on, as opposed to just math behind the desk,” Strait said as she reflected on what career she might want to pursue in the future. “But this has definitely made me more interested in the STEM career field.”
Taking STEM by storm
Red Storm team captain Sarah Shapin, a senior at East Kentwood High School, is in her seventh year participating in the robotics program. Shapin said she started in middle school and plans to continue her interest in the STEM field in the future.
Team Captain Sarah Chapin from East Kentwood’s Red Storm stands by her team’s robot and displays the logo she designed for this year’s event. Casa Calvo Marketing designed the t-shirt. (WKTV/Jodi Miesen)
Shapin she too believes that women are under-represented in this area but said events like this can help bridge that gap.
“A lot of times women are on it,” Shapin said as she relayed an analogy told to her by her mentor. “And then a guy kind of takes a screwdriver out of her hands and doesn’t give it back. So, it’s not necessarily that women are blocked from it. However, it’s very male-dominated and so therefore, giving this opportunity like this competition allows for women to really get in there, get involved and push through.”
Shapin said she hopes to attend Michigan State University, double majoring in computer science and music. Her goal is to be a software engineer and continue playing the clarinet.
Breaking the stereotypes
According to Edwards, all that hard work pays off on competition day after seeing the students’ reactions and from the correspondence she receives after the event is over.
“The Grand Rapids Girls Robotics Competition is important to me, because of the letters I receive after the competition; expressing how happy they were to be able to participate in a role that usually a male teammate would be in,“ Edwards said. “And also, during the competition, I get to see the excitement exude from these kids. They love what they’re doing! They love STEM!”
The competition also featured a panel of guest speakers, “Ladies in Tech,” made up of women successful in the STEM fields.
Wyoming Team Captain Abby Strait gets help moving the Demons’ robot off the field. (WKTV/Jodi Miesen)The alliance of the Wyoming, East Kentwood, and Marysville teams gathers before the final competition. (WKTV/Jodi Miesen)
By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma WKTV Managing Editor joanne@wktv.org
This fall, the residents of the City of Wyoming will decide who will fill two open spots on the Wyoming City Council.
Current Mayor Pro Tem Sam Bolt announced he would not seek re-election to his at-large council seat. Current Council Member-at-Large Kent Vanderwood was elected mayor during the August primaries as he received more than 50 percent of the overall vote.
Three candidates, Robert Arnoys, Renee Hill and Robert Kilgo, are seeking to fill those seats. Also, Sheldon DeKryger is running unopposed for his First Ward seat.
Robert Arnoys
Occupation: A life-long resident of the City of Wyoming, Arnoys is the vice president of treasury management for Lake Michigan Credit Union. Along with having more than 30 years of banking experience, Arnoys has served on a number of community boards and is currently on the City of Wyoming Planning Commission.
Tell us a couple of issues you want to focus on if elected: If elected, Arnoys will focus on public safety, working with officers in providing them the resources needed to keep Wyoming safe. Because of his background in finances, Arnoys plans to help keep Wyoming fiscally responsible. He also will focus on planned development, ensuring the city has a strong master plan that will put the right uses in the right places as well as supporting an environment for small businesses to prosper.
Occupation: Hill has lived in the City of Wyoming for more than 27 years. She is a doctor of physical therapy. She does home care. She also served on the city’s Enrichment Commission.
Tell us a couple of issues you want to focus on if elected: Hill’s main concern is the wise use of citizen’s tax money and is dedicated to making sure every dollar honors the trust of the citizens. She also supports prudent property management and keeping Wyoming residents safe.
Website: There is no website for this candidate.
Robert Kilgo
Occupation: Kilgo moved to the City of Wyoming when he decided to attend Grace Christian University. He now is the assistant to the president of Grace Christian University. He also has served as a mentor to at-risk students in Wyoming.
Tell us a couple of issues you want to focus on if elected: Kilgo believes that the city is in a good position financially and he wants to continue that for the future. He also recognizes the need for a well-funded public safety initiative and safe neighborhoods and is looking to help add to the public safety department and reduce the city’s dependence on its neighbors especially for fire services. He also wants to work on addressing the housing shortage, expand access to city services and focus on maintaining the city’s parks.
The loading dock at one of Lacks Enterprises manufacturing facilities. (WKTV)
Lacks Enterprises Inc. is hosting a Career Fair where the automotive supplier and one of West Michigan’s largest family-owned employers plans to interview candidates to fill a variety of open positions.
Lacks’ Career Fair is from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 18, and from 2 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 19, at the Lacks Enterprises Employment Center, 4949 Broadmoor Ave. SE in Kentwood.
Headquartered in Grand Rapids, Lacks Enterprises provides interior and exterior plastic trim components and innovative wheel trim systems to the top global automotive manufacturers.
At its Career Fair, Lacks will conduct on-site interviews to fill a variety of general manufacturing, shipping and receiving, and skilled trades positions in its Grand Rapids and Kentwood facilities.
Attendees are encouraged to bring documentation to complete an I-9 form should they be offered a position. I-9 Forms provide documentation to the employer to confirm their identity and authorization to work. The list of documents can be found at https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents.
Employment is subject to the successful completion of Lacks Enterprises’ pre-screening activities, which includes drug testing, a background check and a physical. Lacks Enterprises will coordinate the physical.
For more information, contact the Lacks Enterprises Employment Center at (616) 554-7812 or visit Workatlacks.com.
Lacks Enterprises is the fourth largest privately held employer in West Michigan and has more than 2,500 people at facilities in Kentwood and Novi, as well as Germany, the United Kingdom, Japan and South Korea. Lacks business units—Lacks Trim Systems, Lacks Wheel Trim Systems and Plastic Plate, LLC—specialize in applying Lacks’ innovative décor finishes, production experience and testing capacity to the unique needs of its customers.
A new season for Broadway Grand Rapids kicks off Tuesday (Oct. 11) with a laugh-out-loud, hilarious musical sure to set the tone for another smashing season for Broadway lovers across West Michigan.
Payton Reilly as Sandy Lester in the National Tour of TOOTSIE. Reilly is from Michigan and a graduate of Western Michigan University. Photo by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade.
“‘Tootsie’ is a modern comedy classic,” said Jennifer Pascua, BGR’s new marketing director, who took over for Meghan Distel. Distel was named president & CEO when Mike Lloyd retired earlier this year.
Pascua said the musical production is the same “Tootsie” you love and remember from the movies, but updated.
“People can expect catchy songs with humor and heart. It’s funny, but sincere,” she added.
The week-long run continues through Sunday, Oct. 16, with eight performances at DeVos Performance Hall.
The cast of the National Tour of TOOTSIE. Photo by Evan Zimmerman for
MurphyMade.
In case you don’t recall the 1982 film with Dustin Hoffman, Sydney Pollack and Jessica Lange, “Tootsie” tells the story of a talented but volatile actor (Hoffman) whose reputation as a perfectionist makes him difficult. He adopts a new identity as a woman in order to land a job, and, well, that’s when things get pretty funny. The original movie revolved around a daytime soap opera, while the musical involves a Broadway musical.
Tickets are available for all shows, and “rush tickets” were just announced for students, educators and veterans, Pascua said.
Rush tickets are available for all performances. A valid school ID is required, and the limit is two tickets per person. All tickets are subject to availability. Tickets may be purchased in-person one hour prior to the performance at the DeVos Performance Hall Box Office, 303 Monroe Ave NW.
Performances are 7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday; 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and matinees at 2 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday. The final show is at 6:30 p.m. Sunday.
Accessible performances: American Sign Language Interpreted at 2 p.m. Saturday. Open Captioning and Audio Description at 1 p.m. Sunday.
Matthew Rella
“Tootsie” has received a lot of praise. The Hollywood Reporter called it “the most uproarious new musical in years!” Rolling Stone said “in these turbulent times, when the world seems out of balance, we need a place to let the good times roll….musical comedy heaven.”
Pascua said the Broadway tour coming to Grand Rapids features two cast members from Michigan:
Payton Reilly a native of Howell who plays friend Sandy Lester, and Matt Kurzyniec from Livonia who is an ensemble member. Both are graduates of Western Michigan University. They are engaged.
The rest of Broadway Grand Rapids 2022-2023 Season includes:
SIX January 10 – 15, 2023
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday at 7:30 p.m.; Friday 8 p.m.; Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m.; Sunday at 1 and 6:30 p.m.
Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived. From Tudor Queens to Pop Princesses, the SIX wives of Henry VIII take the mic to remix five hundred years of historical heartbreak into an exuberant celebration of 21st century girl power.
MY FAIR LADY April 11 – 16, 2023
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday at 7:30 p.m.; Friday 8 p.m.; Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m.; Sunday at 1 and 6:30 p.m.
Lerner & Loewe’s My Fair Lady boasts such classic songs as “I Could Have Danced All Night,” “The Rain in Spain,” “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly” and “On the Street Where You Live.” It tells the story of Eliza Doolittle, a young Cockney flower seller, and Henry Higgins, a linguistics professor who is determined to transform her into his idea of a “proper lady.” But who is really being transformed?
HADESTOWN May 9 – 14, 2023
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday at 7:30 p.m.; Friday 8 p.m.; Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m.; Sunday at 1 and 6:30 p.m.
Hadestown intertwines two mythic tales — that of young dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice, and that of King Hades and his wife Persephone — as it invites you on a hell-raising journey to the underworld and back.
DISNEY’S FROZEN July 11 – 23, 2023
Week 1: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday at 7:30 p.m.; Friday 8 p.m.; Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m.; Sunday at 1 and 6:30 p.m.
Week 2: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday at 7:30 p.m.; Friday 8 p.m.; Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m.; Sunday at 1 and 6:30 p.m.
From the producer of “The Lion King” and “Aladdin,” “Frozen,” the Tony-nominated Best Musical, is now on tour across North America. Heralded by The New Yorker as “thrilling” and “genuinely moving,” Frozen features the songs you know and love from the original Oscar-winning film, plus an expanded score with a dozen new numbers by the film’s songwriters, Oscar-winner Kristen Anderson-Lopez and EGOT-winner Robert Lopez.
John D. Gonzalez is a digital journalist with 30-plus years of experience as a food, travel, craft beer and arts & entertainment reporter based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He also co-hosts the radio show and Podcast “Behind the Mitten,” which airs at 6 p.m. Sundays on WOOD-AM and FM. Follow him on his journey to discover what’s new. You can find him on Twitter as @MichiganGonzo, on Instagram @MichiganGonzo and Facebook at @GRGonzo. He also has a YouTube Channel. Email him story ideas and tips at michigangonzo@gmail.com.
Artist Kathie Van Hekken and Kent County Sheriff Officer Krystal Stuart shown with the portrait of Axel created by Van Hekken. (WKTV/Jodi Miesen)
When Rockford resident Kathie Van Hekken learned about the death of Kent County Sheriff K9 officer Axel, it spurred her into action.
“I saw it on TV the day he died,” said the 76-year-old artist of Axel, who died from an undiagnosed heart condition while tracking a suspect in August of 2021. “And I love dogs. I love pets. I know I have the skill to draw them…And I thought you know what? I could take something so sad and I can do some good with this.”
Her something good was the creation of a 44- by 44-inch color pencil portrait of Axel that is currently part of the 2022 ArtPrize exhibit. The piece hangs at the First (Park) Congregational Church, 10 E. Park Place NE.
A late bloomer in art
Van Hekken discovered her passion for art later in life, after stumbling upon it about seven years ago. Her mother was an artist who dabbled in oil paintings. Van Hekken had inherited her mother’s art supplies when she passed away in 2005, but it wasn’t until years into her retirement that Van Hekken finally got them out.
Artist Kathie Van Hekken admits her passion for art started several years after she retired as an engineer. (WKTV/Jodi Miesen)
“I went to one of those wine and women kind of things,” she said. “I took my paintings and I showed them to the teacher, and I asked if he could teach me what I was missing. And that’s when I started learning.”
She shared her desire to be “good enough” someday to be an ArtPrize artist and with encouragement from that teacher it happened in 2015 when Van Hekken entered her hand drawn, nine feet tall sunflowers.
Making a connection
Through a mutual acquaintance, Van Hekken reached out to Axel’s handler, Kent County Sheriff Officer Krystal Stuart about getting permission to create the piece.
“She told me how big it was going to be and I was like, ‘What?’” Stuart said. “Like, I didn’t even know that was possible, especially for like color pencil, like a drawing, you know. I was like, ‘How is this even going to be a thing?’”
Van Hekken admitted once she got Stuart’s permission, the project was a little nerve wracking as she wanted to do “a really good job.” Stuart was with her every step of the way, coming over regularly to see the piece as it progressed in its various stages and to let Van Hekken know she was heading in the right direction.
“The first conversation we had, we talked,” Van Hekken said. “She told me stories. I’ve learned that I have to know what I’m drawing. If I have an emotional attachment, it will come out. You know, when people say that I captured Axel, that’s because she made sure I knew Axel, even though I had never met him.
‘Hi, Axel’
Through this process and utilizing one of Stuart’s favorite pictures of Axel, slowly he emerged through the drawing.
The portrait of Axel that artist Katie Van Hekken used for her piece. (WKTV/Jodi Miesen)
“I think I had his ears and a little bit of his face,” she said. “And I had sketched in his mouth and I could see him for the first time for me, other than a photograph. And it was like, ‘Hi Axel.’ And I cried for him. It was just really emotional. It still is.”
It took Van Hekken about seven months to complete the massive art piece and as soon as it was, the first person she had to see it was Stuart.
“She was quiet,” Van Hekken said. “She just stood quietly and looked at it. It was very, very touching.”
And for Van Hekken, Stuart’s reaction was payment enough.
“She did a phenomenal job capturing his essence,” Stuart said. “He had that, like I say, twinkle in his eye, which sounds so cliché, but he really did when he was not in work mode. He had this goofy, like ‘I’m a big doofus look in his eye.’ And then when he was working, it just went black.”
Celebrating Kent County Sheriff’s K9 unit
Van Hekken said she chose Axel not only to honor him, but to raise awareness and money for the donation-based K9 Unit. Currently, there are 10 Kent County Sheriff K9s covering most of the county. The animals are trained to detect explosives, track suspects, secure buildings, or may be used as a compliance tool. Axel was the department’s first explosive detection dog.
Van Hekken said she had cards made with Axel’s portrait on them that she handed out when people visit her exhibit. The cards include a QR code to make a donation directly to the Kent County K9 Unit.
“She wanted to tell Axel’s story,” Stuart said. “She wanted to explain what the process was of getting Axel, what happened to Axel, the work that we put in and how much these K-9s actually do for our community.
“Because it’s not just having them and showing off and whatnot. I mean, they find missing children, they find vulnerable adults, suspects in places that we won’t. They protect our officers in different everyday situations.”
Sharing with the community who loved him
After ArtPrize, VanHekken will give the piece to Stuart, who hopes to donate it to the Kent County Sheriff’s Department. Stuart said she wants to share Axel with the community since he was “everybody’s dog.” Stuart is hoping to get approval to have it installed in the new North substation, which is scheduled to open in 2023 in Cedar Springs. Stuart said the location is fitting since northern Kent County was their home base “and those are the residents that had seen him the most.”
Van Hekken said she’s proud to be a part of the project. For her, it was a labor of love.
“I never entered ArtPrize thinking I would win, she said. “I just wanted to do something good. I wanted to make a difference. I wanted to call attention to the K9 Unit and Axel.”
And with a satisfied smile adding. “I’m already the winner.”
The Diatribe hosted a live Facebook stream on issues facing the 49507 zip code. (Supplied)
By Sheila McGrath WKTV Community Contributor
If the community poured as much money into the public health crisis of racism as it poured into the public health crisis of COVID-19, what might the result be?
That question and many more were discussed in a Facebook Live event recently hosted by Marcel ‘Fable’ Price and G. Foster II from The Diatribe, an organization that uses performing arts to raise awareness of social issues.
Fable and Foster posed questions about health care, community and life in South Grand Rapids neighborhoods to a panel that included social workers, health care workers, and community organizers.
Racism has been declared a public health crisis in Grand Rapids, Fable said, but since the city government made that declaration nearly a year ago, what has been done about it?
“We responded to COVID in many ways. Money, pop-up clinics, stimuluses, billboards, millions of dollars in marketing campaigns,” he said. “What would a response to racism as a public health crisis look like if we took it as seriously as COVID?”
“It would mean people are reacting to racism like their lives depend on it,” said Aarie Wade, director of education at Baxter Community Center.
“Like if they don’t attack this, they will die. And their families will die. And generations will die.”
Listening to the community
In addition to Wade, participants on the panel included Chinyere Aririguzo, LMSW, client services supervisor at Health Net of West Michigan; Ashlie Jones, senior program coordinator for the Grand Rapids African American Health Initiative; Nirali Bora, MD, medical director of the Kent County Health Department; Kelsey Perdue, a project director with the Michigan League for Public Policy, and Lee Moyer, director of community programs at Spectrum Health Healthier Communities.
Questions posed in the forum were based on listening sessions hosted by The Diatribe as part of its 49507 Project, an anti-racist project by and for people of color that involves the creation of public murals, writing, and community listening sessions.
Fable said during listening sessions, they were able to listen to more than 400 individuals from the 49507 neighborhood.
“Many residents didn’t feel like our downtown belongs to them, which makes it even more important that we pour into our communities, our neighborhoods,” he said.
Creating more home ownership opportunities
Obstacles to home ownership in the 49507 zip code are a big problem, many of the panelists said, as well as the difficulty of people being able to afford housing in general.
Fable noted that nonprofit organizations own hundreds of homes in the 49507 zip code. He questioned why those couldn’t be given to families, bringing home ownership and stability to those neighborhoods.
Investors and developers buying up properties bring another obstacle, according to Fable.
“How do community members obtain equity if developers are constantly taking control of neighborhoods, and our politicians and community leaders continue to align with them?” he said.
Aririguzo said the requirements for subsidized housing are keeping a lot of people from even being able to live in the neighborhood, such as rules requiring people to be able to come up with three times the amount of the rent to be eligible for assistance.
“If I could make three times the rent, I wouldn’t be looking for subsidized housing, right?” she said. “I would like to see changing the requirements that are supposed to be helping us stay in our neighborhoods.”
Using your vote to get local leaders to listen
The difficulty getting city leaders to listen to the concerns of Black and Brown residents was another topic of discussion. Panel members said that when conversations with city or county leaders did happen, they felt as if leaders were just waiting for them to finish talking so they could give their prepared rebuttals.
Panelists agreed that it’s important to get informed on local candidates running for office in the city of Grand Rapids and Kent County.
“Do your research on candidates, not only when it comes to their political stance but what they’ve done in the past. What does your track record say you’ve done for the city to improve it?” Moyer said. “That will speak volumes.”
“We get wrapped up with the news about Trump vs. Biden, but it’s wildly important to care about these smaller elections,” Fable said.
Crosswalk at 34th Street and Buchanan Avenue in the Godwin Public Schools district. (Supplied)
Crosswalk at Lee Street and Cleveland Avenue in Godfrey-Lee Public Schools district. (Supplied)
Crosswalk at Mangolia Avenue and Farnham Street in Kelloggsville Public Schools district. (Supplied)
Crosswalk located near the Wyoming High School. (WKTV)
By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma WKTV Managing Editor joanne@wktv.org
Last week the City of Wyoming wrapped up a project designed to help improve public safety while promoting local school pride.
On Jun 7, 2022 the Wyoming City Council awarded a contract to Gallagher Asphalt Corporation for $100,500 to install four art-based crosswalks that were placed in the Kelloggsville, Godwin Heights, Godfrey-Lee and Wyoming Public School districts. The total project was $110,550 which included a 10 percent construction contingency of $10,050.
The project was funded by $90,000 in grants from the Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) and a $10,000 grant from the General Motors Corporation.
Creating a safer community
“Using art to transform our city into a safer, more desirable community is part of what we do here in Wyoming,” said Major Jack Poll. “We hope this project will be another opportunity to enhance recognition that residents are part of one community, one City of Wyoming, regardless of where they live and which school district they attend.”
In her recommendation of the project, city’s Director of Community Services Rebecca Rynbrandt said “innovative painting of crosswalks is shown to be effective in increasing public awareness of the crosswalk for drivers and encourages increased use by pedestrians with an impact of reducing car and pedestrian accidents.
“This project is designed to increase community awareness of the number of school districts located in the city, increase school district pride, and to enhance resident recognition of being a part of one community, one Wyoming.”
Identifying the locations
The city has seven school districts within its city boundaries. Originally, five school districts, the four mentioned plus Grandville, where selected.
The COVID pandemic delayed the project and then it was delayed again when new estimate exceeded $100,000 and additional funding had to be secured. Grandville was removed from the list as funding came through the CDBG program, which restricts investment to low and moderate income areas of the city.
Wyoming’s Community Services Department staff worked with Public Safety to discuss emergency response needs and identify a location within each school district that would benefit from a new crosswalk. Information also was gathered from the city’s traffic engineers.
The designs were created by staff in consultation with each school district. The design features a white and turquoise stripped pattern with the school’s logo.
The final locations of the sidewalks are:
Godfrey-Lee Public Schools: Lee Street and Cleveland Avenue
Wyoming Public Schools: Near the Wyoming High School on Prairie Parkway between Michael and Burlingame avenues
Godwin Heights Public Schools: 34th Street and Buchanan Avenue
Kelloggsville Public School: Magnolia Avenue and Farnham Street
The Grandville Public Schools location, which is to be 52nd and Wilson Avenue, is scheduled to be constructed in 2023 when additional funds become available. The Grandville school district services most of the city’s panhandle population.
Do you have an interest in helping seniors or a passion for preserving farms?
The Kent County Board of Commissioners is seeking residents interested in serving the community through appointment to its boards, commissions and committees.
Interested residents may view all current vacancies and apply online for appointment by Sept. 30/ Applicants should include a cover letter and professional resume in a pdf format. For more information, please contact the Board of Commissioners’ office at 616-632-7580.
The following boards and committees are accepting applications, click to learn more about each group is responsible for:
